Dancehall artiste Charles Nii Armah Mensah, popularly known as Shatta Wale, says he could consider contesting a parliamentary seat in Ablekuma if residents call on him to serve, but insists he would only run as an independent candidate.
Speaking during an interview on the Ekosiisen programme on Asempa FM on Wednesday, March 11, Shatta Wale said he would not force himself into the political space unless there is a clear demand from the people.
I love Ghana so much. If the people of Ablekuma call me, I will definitely go. But I won’t say because I have money now, I’m coming to contest. When they call, I will go, but as an independent candidate,” he revealed.
“Ghana is a funny country. Sometimes when you decide to do something, that is when you have some people with talks here and there. But I believe at the right time [things will fall in place],” he said.
The artiste explained that he often draws inspiration from films and recently reflected on leadership after watching a series about Moses.
Sometimes when I watch movies, I learn a lot from them. Recently, I was watching The Book of Moses on Netflix and I saw how stubborn Moses was when God was asking him to go back to Egypt,” he said.
Shatta Wale said the moment reminded him that leadership should sometimes come in response to a call from the people.
“I feel when the people call for it, I can stand out boldly. But I don’t want to come out myself and feel like I’m entering people’s business. When the people want it, that is when I can come out,” he added.
He was, however, quick to stress that he does not intend to align himself with any political party.
“Most definitely, but I don’t want to belong to any political party. I want to be myself,” he stated.
The musician also suggested that Ghana’s governance framework needs reforms, arguing that the country must evolve beyond structures created decades ago.
He mentioned the recent song he has released, stating, “We are tired of the 1992 laws and constitution. We need to grow up from where we are. Other countries have grown, so we also need to look at how we can move forward,” he said.
According to him, any potential political ambition would be driven by policies aimed at improving governance and development.
If I have to go into any constituency, they should understand that we also have policies we want to implement into the system. That is what is going to work,” he noted.
Shatta Wale said for now he prefers to focus on his personal life and career but left the door open for the future.
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