Since the news about Rapper Okyeame Kwame emerged that he had been appointed by the flagbearer of the New Patriotic party (NPP) Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to serve on the manifesto sub-committee on arts and tourism, many have criticized him for associating with the party.
Others believe that, by this appointment, he has betrayed his numerous fans who are under the impression that he is non-partisan. The rapper has since explained the circumstances under which his name found a place among Dr Bawumia’s Manifesto Committee members. Okyeame Kwame, alias OK, said he has not officially been appointed to the Manifesto Committee neither is he affiliated with the New Patriotic Party.
In a press statement dated February 24, 2024, issued by the ‘rap dacta’, he stated that he has not been paid to take up such a role.
“I wish to reassure my respected following and reiterate that I remain non-partisan and apolitical, as I have been throughout my entire career. I have not been paid by H.E. The Vice President’s campaign team to be a member of the committee for the arts and tourism manifesto nor have I officially been invited on my terms as a non-partisan participant.
“Indeed, when it comes to contributing policy opinion towards the advancement of the Arts and Culture in Ghana, I am respectfully open to all political or ideological persuasions, be they NPP, NDC, CPP, Independent, or other, that may want me to openly and sincerely lend my knowledge to develop this noble industry,” he stated.
Okyeme Kwame added that although he is open to exploring various fields, he remains non-partisan. “I have pledged myself to the service of Ghana, in all fields of my competence, with all my strength and with all my heart. All are sincerely welcome, as I remain non-partisan and #MadeInGhana4Life,” he explained.
The ‘Made in Ghana’ hitmaker is one of the fifteen people who were named as members of the New Patriotic Party’s Manifesto Committee for Tourism, arts, and Culture.
Firstly, if it is the case that he was not consulted before his supposed appointment was announced, then there is a procedural gap somewhere that the campaign team of Dr Bawumia must admit and address accordingly.
However, the point must be stated that, Ghana is a democratic country that is practicing the multi-party system. It, therefore, means that every person is at liberty to join whichever political ideology he deems fit.
Secondly, even if it turns out that he is a member of the NPP, Okyeame Kwame has done no wrong, because it is his democratic right to do so.
According to QRKE, the celebrity-to-politician pipeline has become an accepted and even expected phenomenon in American—and increasingly, global—culture.
Within the past several years, celebrities as disparate as Ye (formerly Kanye West) and Dr. Oz have launched (unsuccessful) political bids, while household names like Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who once played a president on TV, have risen to the highest offices of their respective nations.
While the number of stars seeking political office has seemingly increased in the past decade, celebrities involving themselves in U.S. politics is far from a new occurrence. Fame has buoyed people ranging from early 20th-century country singers to former child stars to Washington. Popularity, name recognition, and a sense of relatability have accounted for many celebrities’ move to politics, in many cases, regardless of experience or qualifications.
Recently in Nigeria, Nollywood actress and filmmaker, Funke Akindele, was named the Peoples Democratic Party deputy governorship candidate of Lagos State.
Actor Desmond Elliot, who is currently representing Surulere Constituency 1 in the Lagos State House of Assembly, won the All Progressives Congress ticket for a third term.
In the primary held in May 2020, Elliot polled 30 votes as the sole contestant for the ticket.
Elliot contested and won the Surulere Constituency 1 seat at the general election on April 11, 2015. His nomination by APC for a second term came unopposed as well as the third.
In Ghana, we have had examples of celebrities or creative arts persons who have also engaged in politics.
Examples include Actors John Dumelo and Prince David Osei, musicians Bice Osei Kufuor and Lucky Mensah, Kwame Asare Obeng (A-Plus) and several others.
To that end, it is not out of place for Okyeame Kwame to have been selected by Dr Bawumia to play a role in the work of the New Patriotic Party’s manifesto committee.
By Kofi Ansah
The author is an entertainment critic.