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Claim: NDC’s Julius Kwame Anthony claimed on Metro TV that foreign State Department reports had noted that a person who became President on the ticket of the NPP was a drug addict.
Verdict: Misleading. DUBAWA’s review of publicly available US diplomatic cables shows that the US Embassy in Accra recorded allegations reportedly made by two Ghanaians about former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s alleged past drug use in diplomatic cables published in 2008. The two, security expert Dr Kwasi Aning and senior journalist Kwesi Pratt, have both denied the allegation.
Full Text
Ghana’s governing National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s Deputy National Communications Director, Julius Kwame Anthony, has alleged that foreign State Department reports had noted that a person who became President on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was a drug addict.
Julius was referring to ex-President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who served as the country’s President from 2017 to 2024.
Speaking on Accra-based Metro TV, Julius said, “Foreign State Department reports have noted that the person who became the President of the Republic on the ticket of your party was a drug addict, dealing in these same illicit drugs.”
See his comment from 1:20 to 1:30 in the media YouTube video published on Nov. 2, 2026.
As of Nov. 3, 2026, the video has recorded over 3.3k views and 15 comments.
Julius’s comment has generated debate on social media, such as this, this, this, and this.
DUBAWA probed the claim due to its virality on social media in the country.
Verification
DUBAWA’s review of publicly available US diplomatic cables shows that the US Embassy in Accra recorded allegations reportedly made by two Ghanaians about former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s alleged past drug use in two diplomatic cables published by WikiLeaks in 2008.
However, neither cable constitutes a formal US State Department finding that Akufo-Addo was a drug addict.
The first cable, dated Nov. 19, 2008, with reference number 08ACCRA1472, records a conversation between an American diplomatic official and Dr Kwesi Aning, then a researcher at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre.
According to the cable, when asked about rumours of Akufo-Addo’s cocaine use, Dr Aning allegedly said that Akufo-Addo had used drugs in his younger days, but that it was then “under control”. He reportedly added that German intelligence could verify the matter.
The second cable, dated Nov. 28, 2008, with reference number 08ACCRA1509, records a conversation between US diplomatic officials and political commentator Kwesi Pratt Jnr. In the cable, Pratt was reported to have said that Akufo-Addo used to smoke marijuana, while adding that he had never seen him use cocaine.
These documents show that diplomatic officials recorded allegations concerning Akufo-Addo’s alleged drug use. However, they do not show that the US State Department independently investigated or established that he was a drug addict.
Furthermore, Dr Kwesi Aning subsequently denied making the remarks attributed to him in the first cable, describing the account as fabricated.
Kwesi Pratt recalled being questioned about whether Nana Addo used drugs. Although he could not remember his exact response, he said it was his principle not to disclose confidential information he had about people with whom he had close personal relationships. See this and this for Kwesi’s reaction to the leak.
Akufo-Addo’s lawyers also denied allegations that he had ever been arrested for drug possession.
Also, Accra-based Metro TV has apologised to the country’s ex-President and the NPP for allowing such comments on their platform.
Conclusion
Julius Kwame Anthony’s statement is misleading because, although the cables exist and contain the reported allegations, the description “drug addict” is not a conclusion reached by the US State Department or any foreign state department, as alleged.
