From Dancehall King to Comedy King? How Shatta Wale stepped in for comedy at Ghana’s tipping point

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A day after polls closed, tempers were high as confusion erupted at some polling stations.

Two people had died in the Techiman South constituency adding to the 4 others who subsequently passed on due to electoral violence across the country.

Ghanaians were on the edge of their seats glued to their television sets and various media houses monitoring the elections while trying to come to terms with the happenings.

It wasn’t strange but it wasn’t easy to understand either.

Many were anxious to find out what results were coming in, while the clock was ticking beyond the Electoral Commission’s scheduled 24 hours within which it had pledged to announce a winner.

Electorate verifying details to cast their votes in December 7 elections

With social media reflecting the ongoing tension, the key to a relaxed atmosphere materialized. It was wrapped in a shower cap, a gel facemask and a towel wrap – his name is Shatta Wale.

The self-acclaimed dancehall king had decided it was a good time to go live on Facebook and address some of the developments in the political space.

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His rants encompassed the demerits of electoral violence and the need for accountability to be demanded from public office holders in the parliamentary setting.

In a snippet that first went viral, Charles Nii Armah Mensah as he is known in his personal life was seen referencing his brawl with Stonebwoy at the Vodafone Ghana Music Awards in 2019 which saw no casualty except “a mosquito and little mouse named Musa from Nima.”

Satirically, he highlighted the paradox between spending the night behind bars with his arch-rival and politicians who walk freely even after inciting deadly violence during polls.

The hilarious video spread like wildfire.

The video also came in handy as actor-turned-politician, John Dumelo found comfort in using excerpts in reaction to Ghanaians who had questioned how he lost out in the Ayawaso West Wuogon parliamentary bid to Lydia Alhassan.

Other skits from previous his previous videos have also been developed into memes that got social media laughing through a high-stake election period.

Even political campaigns on social media jumped onto the wave on platforms from Twitter, Facebook to TikTok – one of which was adapted from an episode from his take on the Dr UN controversy last September.

Shatta Wale is no stranger to controversy and was not about to shy away from backlash when it comes to his political sentiments either.

He has occasionally exhibited hilarious gestures while on the musical stage which have tickled the minds of many.

But if his recent episodes of live video are anything to go by, top Ghanaian comedians may be getting a run for their money in 2021.

Let it go down in history that at the country’s most crucial point, Shatta Wale stepped in and doused the flames – on his way to the bathroom.