Claim: A Facebook user claimed that Alan Kyeremanteng, the Founder of the Movement for Change, has picked Kennedy Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central, as his running mate.
Verdict: False. A broadcast journalist of the Multimedia Group, specifically Joy News, James Avedzi, refuted such reports. Also, the spokesperson for the Movement for Change (MFC), Courage Nobi, described the claim as false.
Full Text
A post by a Facebook user named Alex Vhirus Media asserts that Alan Kojo Kyeremanteng, the Founder of the Movement for Change, has chosen Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Member of Parliament for Assin Central, as his running mate.
Accompanied by a news card, the claim has garnered 21 shares and is captioned with “Ghana: Butterfly movement activated. #Anticipate.” The details on the news card state, “Election, 2024: Alan Picks Kennedy Agyapong as running mate.” Furthermore, individuals in the comment section have raised doubts about the claim’s accuracy.
The newscard had the logos of the various platforms of the Multimedia Group, a largely credible media house in Ghana.
Given the potential implications and the possibility of misinformation, verifying this claim for informed decision-making and preventing the spread of false information is essential.
Verification
DUBAWA initially focused its search on multimedia platforms, particularly Joy News, to investigate whether they had published any news related to Facebook users’ posts. Subsequently, DUBAWA contacted a broadcast journalist at Joy News, James Avedzi, to verify the accuracy of the claim. Mr Avedzi promptly dismissed the claim as false.
Furthermore, DUBAWA contacted the spokesperson for the Movement for Change (MFC), Courage Nobi, to inquire about the alleged selection of Kennedy Agyapong as the running mate for Alan John Kyerematen.
Mr Nobi also refuted the claim, affirming that the only individual who had allied with the Movement for Change was Abu Sakara, the founder of the National Interest Movement (NIM), a political civil society coalition.
Abu Sakara and Movement for Change
On April 4, Alan Kyerematen revealed a strategic alliance with the National Interest Movement (NIM), led by former Convention People’s Party (CPP) flagbearer Abu Sakara, in anticipation of the 2024 elections. This collaboration, termed ‘The Alliance for Revolutionary Change (ARC),’ was formally introduced on April 17.
This is the only declaration from the Movement of Change regarding collaboration with individuals, thus refuting claims of Kennedy Agyapong’s selection as a running mate. Additionally, DUBAWA analysed the news and discovered that the alleged post was dated April 1, 2024.
Given such a significant announcement, it would have been covered by numerous media outlets, especially considering the involvement of Kennedy Agyapong, the flagbearer aspirant for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the party’s presidential elections.
Conclusion
In summary, the assertion made by Alex Vhirus Media suggesting that Alan Kyeremanteng has selected Kennedy Agyapong as his running mate is false. The spokesperson for the Movement for Change has dismissed this claim. Additionally, a broadcast journalist from Joy News rejected the claim, stating that the newscard was fake.
