A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dele Momodu, has shared his earliest encounter with Ghana.

In his latest statement on Instagram, in an attempt to praise Ghana's President-elect, John Mahama, he revealed that his first visit to Ghana was in 1995 while he was in exile during the military rule of General Sani Abacha.

Momodu mentioned that before his visit he had learned about Ghana through leaders and writers such as Kwame Nkrumah, Ayi Kwei Armah, Kofi Awoonor, Ama Ata Aidoo, and Kofi Anyidoho.

He explained: "The most frequently asked question is what's my interest in Ghana? My first encounter with Ghana was on July 25, 1995, the day I escaped from Nigeria and started my journey into exile. Before then, I had read about Ghana in the writings of Kwame Nkrumah, Ayi Kwei Armah, Kofi Awoonor, Ama Ata Aidoo, Kofi Anyidoho and others."

"I landed late evening in Accra and was stunned by the level of development and peace that I saw. I instantly fell in love with this former Gold Coast, a country that provided safe havens for Dr Nnamdi Azikiwe, Professor Wole Soyinka, Fela Anikulapo Kuti and others at different times."

"I spent three nights here and managed to trace my good friend, FRITZ BAFFOUR, who had once upon a time lived and made a big name in Nigeria."

He also addressed the insinuations that his frequent praises of John Mahama, who won the December 7 elections, were for financial gain, clarifying that his admiration for the former president was genuine as he prepares to lead Ghana.

"Finally, I'm not a contractor. If I needed contracts, ABUJA is the biggest place to be. My love for MAHAMA is predicated on his humility, character and competence... It has nothing to do with pecuniary gains. I survived the last eight years in Nigeria and Ghana by dint of hard work and God's mercy. May his tribe increase in AFRICA," he said.

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