An aspiring Member of Parliament for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Domeabra-Obom Constituency of the Greater Accra Region has dragged a leading Akan station in Ghana, Peace FM, and its online portal, www.peacefmonline.com, to court over what the candidate claims are false publications against her.
Madam Sophia Karen Ackuaku has sued these two entities for libel and slander for allegedly broadcasting on Peace FM and publishing on www.peacefmonline.com that she had urged her constituents to engage in “skirt and blouse” voting in the elections 2016. “Skirt and blouse” voting is a phenomenon in elections where people vote for one party’s candidate in the presidential elections but vote for a different party’s candidate in the parliamentary polls.
The NDC Parliamentary candidate for the Domeabra-Obom was alleged to have implored electorates of the area to vote for her and any presidential candidate of their choice in the upcoming elections when addressing opinion leaders and youth groups at Tebu, a village in the Domeabra-Obom Constituency on Saturday July 9, 2016.
The two entities of Despite Group of Companies broadcasted and published that the NDC candidate had urged his supporters to vote for him as the Member of Parliament but vote for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Nana Akuffo-Addo, for the presidential slot.
Madam Karen Ackuaku had earlier urged the public and the NDC supporters to disregard the story on peacefmonline.com which was also broadcasted on Peace FM, saying, it was completely false.
A member of Domeabra-Obom Campaign Team of the NDC, Amos Blessing Amorse, explained to Onua News that “I can confirm that Madam Sophia has instructed her lawyers to issue a writ against Peace FM and www.peacefmonline.com over a false story they published about her”.
According to Mr. Amorse, at no point in time during her visit to Tebu in the Constituency, did Madam Ackuaku advise the people to vote against President John Mahama in the presidential elections in November as the report had claimed.
He explained that the publication is nothing far from fictional journalistic work of falsehood and deceit, “and I appeal to the general public to ignore it for what it is-an obvious concoction intended to serve as stumbling block to our quest not only to retain the Domeabra-Obom seat, but deliver 90 percent of the presidential vote in aide of President Mahama’s one-touch victory”.
Amos Blessing Amorse said Madam Ackuaku has to maintained and will continue to maintain cordial relations with the media, but it is important to “take action” if she feels she is being slighted.