The Office of former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has dismissed as “entirely false” a newspaper report claiming he intended to seek an audience with President John Dramani Mahama to secure “safe passage” for his cousin and former Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta.
In a statement on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, the office emphasized that the report, originally published by the Herald Newspaper and later circulated by other media, is a “total fabrication by the supposed source.”
The former President has neither contemplated nor made any request—directly or indirectly—to President Mahama regarding Ofori-Atta’s return.
The statement acknowledged the personal concern Akufo-Addo has for Ofori-Atta, noting, “It is true that the fate of Mr. Ofori-Atta is of considerable concern to the Former President because, after all, apart from Mr. Ofori-Atta being his cousin, more importantly, he was the Minister for Finance in both the governments of his mandate. But that concern does not extend to wanting to interfere with the rule of law.”
Akufo-Addo’s office also demanded that the newspapers and media outlets involved issue a correction and reproduce the rejoinder in full, asserting that the former President’s fidelity to democratic principles remains unquestioned.
The statement concluded, “Hopefully this sets the records straight on this matter.”
Read below the statement
