Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a prominent figure in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has issued an apology to Charlotte Osei, the former Chairperson of the Electoral Commission of Ghana (EC).

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This follows his earlier accusations linking her to the purchase of state land.

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In a social media message dated September 12, 2024, the cousin to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo retracted his previous claims and apologized to Osei. He stated that Osei had reached out to him privately to clarify that the land in question, located near the Asaase building, was purchased through a private transaction in 2007 from a private individual named Berchie.

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“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,” Otchere-Darko wrote.

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The apology comes in the wake of Osei's criticism of Otchere-Darko's involvement in a public dispute concerning a property housing Asaase Broadcasting Company Limited, owned by Member of Parliament for North Tongu, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa.

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Charlotte Osei had accused Otchere-Darko of spreading misinformation. She refuted claims made by Otchere-Darko that the land where her property is located had been sold by the government and asserted that she had acquired it legally before her tenure as EC chair.

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“Rich of you to complain about being lied on and yet tell blatant lies about another person. Please sue @S_OkudzetoAblak. I would love to do the same,” Charlotte Osei responded on X on September 11, 2024.

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Otchere-Darko's initial comments were made in response to a statement by the Lands Commission, which clarified that the property housing Asaase was not involved in a lawsuit against the government, contrary to claims made by Ablakwa. Otchere-Darko had alleged that Ablakwa ignored other properties sold by governments of his party, including the one purportedly occupied by Osei.

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Following the clarification and subsequent apology, Otchere-Darko’s retraction and Osei’s response highlight the ongoing tensions surrounding the issue of state land transactions and political disputes in Ghana.

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