A prominent member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has issued an apology to the former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC), Charlotte Osei, for making incorrect claims about her involvement in acquiring state land.
On September 12, 2024, Otchere-Darko took to social media to apologize, revealing that Madam Osei had contacted him privately to correct the misinformation.
He acknowledged that, his previous statements about the former EC boss purchasing state land were false and confirmed that her property, located near the Asaase building, was acquired through a private transaction from an individual named Berchie in 2007.
Mr. Otchere-Darko’s apology reads: “I’ve received a private message from Mrs. @char_osei clarifying that her land, which is close to the Asaase building, was purchased privately, like the property occupied by Asaase, from a private person, Berchie, back in 2007. Apologies for any reference erroneously attributed to her and retraction of the same.”
This issue had surfaced when Charlotte Osei criticized Otchere-Darko for involving her in his dispute with North Tongu MP Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa over a property that houses Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited.
Mr. Otchere-Darko had previously claimed that Ablakwa was ignoring properties sold by the government, including one opposite Asaase Radio, which he alleged was acquired by Osei after a public servant was displaced.
In response, Mrs Osei denounced Otchere-Darko’s claims in a post on X on September 11, 2024.
She asserted that, she had never benefitted from state lands, and that her property was purchased through a legitimate commercial transaction in 2007, well before her appointment as EC chair in 2015. Osei challenged Otchere-Darko to address the inaccuracies and threatened legal action against him and Ablakwa if necessary.
I’ve received a private message from Mrs @char_osei clarifying that her land which is close to the Asaase building was purchased privately, like the property occupied by Asaase, from a private person, Berchie, back in 2007. Apologies for any reference erroneously attributed to…
— Gabby Otchere-Darko (@GabbyDarko) September 12, 2024