The group known as ‘New Force,’ creators of the ‘Man in Mask’ campaign, have rejected claims made by independent presidential candidate aspirant, Sam Ankrah, asserting that he is the originator of the campaign.
In a statement issued on Monday, November 20, 2023, the original creators clarified that Sam Ankrah has no connection to the conceptualization and inventive process behind the ‘Man in the Mask’ campaign.
The group expressed disappointment in Ankrah for allegedly exploiting the creativity of young Ghanaians and appropriating their vision for his political ambitions.
The originators condemned Ankrah’s conduct, describing it as reprehensible and indicative of a lack of credibility, which undermines his ability to lead a new political vision.
“We wish to state categorically that the said Sam Ankrah has no connection to the creative concept design, and inventive process that developed the “Man in the Mask” campaign,” an excerpt of their release said.
They thus announced their intention to file a complaint with the Electoral Commission, citing a violation of Section 6 of the Political Parties Act 2000 (Act 526).
According to the originators, Ankrah’s actions constitute an offence under the Act, potentially leading to imprisonment for up to two years.
“We reserve our right to consider civil action against him for infringement of our intellectual property rights including our right over the original artistic and creative works,” the originators of the campaign stressed.
They further called for the deletion of the images from all Ankrah’s platforms and requested an appropriate apology statement for the infringement.