The New Patriotic Party (NPP) has dismissed as risible and a poorly constructed joke, claims by the All People’s Congress that its manifesto ideas have been stolen.
Spokesperson for Nana Akufo-Addo, flag bearer of the NPP, Mustapha Abdul-Hamid, says the Hassan Ayariga-led APC cannot be taken seriously because, it has no evidence to back the plagiarism claims.
“That is a huge joke that should not be allowed in our body politic,” Nana Akufo-Addo’s spokesperson said on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Monday.
APC on Sunday released a statement shortly after the NPP manifesto launch, threatening to sue the biggest opposition party for plagiarising its manifesto ideas.
Related story: APC to sue NPP for plagiarising its manifesto ideas
The statement signed by APC General Secretary, Razak Kojo Opoku, said the NPP 2016 manifesto policies unveiled at the Ghana International Trade Fair on Sunday were replete with ideas the APC had already put out.
“The NPP leadership has exhibited highly, gross academic dishonesty,” the statement said, describing the NPP as “Kalyppo People’s Party.”
Hassan Ayariga
However, Mustapha Hamid said on the Super Morning Show that Ayariga is only seeking to ignite a useless controversy.
“He thinks Ghanaians are stupid,” Mr Hamid said of Hassan Ayariga allegations.
He said the Hassan Ayariga-led APC has rather adopted snippets of NPP’s manifesto ideas after Nana Akufo-Addo’s speech at the Ghana Employers’ Association at the International Conference Centre and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s lecture on September 8.
“Everything the two of them said were the things that Ayariga presented as his manifesto and then when he has finished presenting it, he quickly says ‘ok they are going to launch theirs next week so they can copy if they want’”, Mustapha Hamid said.
He wants Ghanaians to ignore Ayariga and his baseless claims.
