On April 2, 2024, Senegal swore in its youngest president, Bassirou Diomaye Faye. The 44-year-old was elected president after three days in Senegal’s March 24 presidential election.
Outgoing President Macky Sall – who had been in power for 12 years – had tried to extend his mandate into a third term but ultimately relented power.
In Ghana, the country is patiently waiting for its presidential elections set to take place on December 7th. The two biggest contenders are from the two dominant political parties in Ghana: Dr Mahmoud Bawumina from the National Patriotic Party (NPP) and John Mahama from the National Democratic Party (NDC).
Other contenders include Alan Kyerematen, a former NPP big name who broke away to form his political party to contest for the presidency.
There are other third-party candidates potentially in the running but one has caught most of the attention from the blogospheres and the national media. That person is Nana Kwame Bediako, also known by his aliases Freedom Jacob Caesar and Cheddar.
“Cheddar” turned 44 years old this year. An improbable (and almost impossible) win at the polls this December, would make him the youngest president elected in Ghana.
That is “if” he wins or even gets on the ballot.
Third-party candidates haven’t had the best of luck in Ghanaian presidential elections. Cheddar is not well known in the realm of politics and his background as an entrepreneur and businessman in real estate has been questioned at times.
Most of the local media have started pushing stories that aren’t focused on his campaign but more on his lifestyle…
The question most people want to know is: Why is a 44-year-old entrepreneur and businessman trying to be president in a field he seems very ill-equipped especially when he comes with his fair share of controversies, public and private?
Is this just an exercise in “audacity”? Or does he really think he has a chance?
“Cheddar” The Entrepreneur
Although the history of Nana Kwame Bediako has been narrated mostly by himself in the press, not much is publicly known about his early days.
According to most reports, he was born on February 13, 1980, in Kumasi, Ghana. He is the younger brother of the well-known Kwaku Ofosu Bediako, who founded the CH Group in Ghana.
He had his early education at Accra Academy and Apam Secondary School and later went to the United Kingdom to study at Waltham Forest College and then at the University of Westminster.
Cheddar has narrated that while in the UK, he ventured into scrap metal collection and sales before venturing into the telecommunication sector in 1999. He established a company called Global Telecommunications and Utilities (GTU) that billed people for online transactions during the dotcom era.
According to him, he would go on to sell the company to an Indian investor for £410,000.
It’s been hard to find official records of his company but regardless, selling his company for £410,000 seems to have propelled him to great heights.
Cheddar would return to Ghana to start the Kwarleyz Group, a collection of business ventures that would include Belfast City & Property Management, Petronia City Construction, and Wonda World Estates.
These businesses would reward Cheddar with lots of success (and money), enabling him to build up wealth and live like an “African prince”.
Some press reports list him as a “billionaire” with an estimated wealth of $4 billion. Again, this is hard to verify given that he hasn’t publicly declared his assets.
In writing this article, substantiating Cheddar’s business and his wealth has been difficult given the limited amount of data on him publicly.
But some information we did find calls into question (and sometimes validates) his business prowess.
The Petronia City Project “Issue” and Real Estate Projects
One thing about Cheddar is that he has “grand” visions and has a way with words. Whether they come from a place of reality or delusion, they are still grand in nature.
In 2013, he launched the “Petronia City Project” in Takoradi. The project was a joint venture by his company Wonda World Estates, and British multi-millionaire property developer Azad Cola, owner of the prestigious Westbury Hotel.
The project is a proposed 2000-acre city development project that aims to provide the first fully integrated business hub for West Africa’s oil, gas, and mining industries.
It offers residential, office, industrial, commercial, leisure, and hospitality spaces for local and international businesses and residents.
But 10+ years later, the project appears to have become a “white elephant” similar to other failed projects like “Hope City“, which had similar visions of being a grand project and mirroring Silicon Valley in America.
His other ventures, however, appear to be doing well. The Oxford Number 1 hotel located in Osu, has caught the eyes of tourists and celebrities when they make stops in Accra.
Reviews for his other luxury apartments on booking websites are highly related.
The speculation was that an unknown person was gearing up to run in the upcoming election as a third-party candidate. But those with keen eyes already knew it was Cheddar behind the campaign.
With real estate success, Cheddar could easily let the revenue from his ventures accumulate and enjoy the fruits of his labor, flying to different countries and living lavishly.
But he decided to dip his toe into politics with the launch of his political campaign.
Enter the “New Force”.
The New Force and Presidential Ambitions
Around August 2023, some peculiar new billboards were erected in the city of Accra. These billboards portrayed the image of a male figure against a black background, wearing a suit and donning a mask.
The billboard stated that a “New Force” was coming to Ghana.
The speculation was that an unknown person was gearing up to run in the upcoming election as a third-party candidate. But those with keen eyes already knew it was Cheddar behind the campaign.
It was all “grandiose”, and “cheesy”, something which is Cheddar’s style.
On November 24, 2023, Shalimar Abbiusi, a Belgian actress, released a video on the X platform claiming to be the spokesperson for the New Force. In the video was footage of anti-government protests, with individuals lamenting existing economic, infrastructure, and development situations.
The video ends with Abbiusi asking Ghanaians, to “embrace The New Force.”
Ironically, Shalimar Abbiusi, who is of Belgian nationality, was arrested and deported after it was found that she had obtained a student permit illegally, This led to the revocation of her resident permit and later deportation. (She is currently suing the Ghana government for human rights violations)
The online conspiracists began circling: The Government is trying to shut down a third-party candidate!
Of course, it is hard to substantiate those theories. But it doesn’t help that an event that was scheduled at Independence Square on January 7, where big-name African leaders like Nigeria’s Peter Obi were set to make an appearance, was “shut down” by authorities who stated that they had “orders from above”.
This of course led to more speculation: The current government administration was “afraid” of the “New Force“.
This only added fuel to the fire for Cheddar’s political campaign. He appeared on multiple TV and radio platforms where he talked about his background and explained why he wanted to be president of Ghana and his plans for the country.
The media spotlight sucked the air out of the room for other political personalities including Alan Kyerematen who had recently launched his campaign as a third-party candidate.
But like most trends, they tend to fade away over time. Mentions of “Cheddar” from Google Trends have been on the decline since he announced his bid to be president
He hasn’t outlined specific policies that would make him stand out from other candidates, unlike the former president John Mahama who is marketing his 24-hour economic policies to the masses or even the current Vice President’s digitization agenda.
He has pushed ideas like dredging a canal to Kumasi which many pundits have found comical. He hasn’t detailed how much this would cost, the implications, or how long a project of this nature would take. (Cheddar says he’s modeled the idea after the Manchester Canal in the UK).
He has also pushed an industrialization plan that would create 10,000 jobs for the youth. The plan would have a manufacturing plant in all 16 regions in Ghana (Note: The current administration already has a similar plan called One District One Factory which is currently attempting the same thing).
More recently, he outlined how he would establish a local currency that would be backed by gold for all African countries.
Funny enough, in 2022, he proposed an idea to launch a “Freedom Coin” to help the African youth acquire financial freedom. He denied that it was a cryptocurrency after the Bank of Ghana stated that he would need to obtain a license to operate.
So far, there haven’t been further updates on that situation.
Most of the local media have started pushing stories that aren’t focused on his campaign but more on his lifestyle including the fact that Cheddar says he feeds pet tigers one cow every three days.
(Yes, Cheddar has pet tigers)
From afar, he sounds more like a salesman, pitching ideas to see what sticks. To the media platforms, he’s more of an “entertainer” or “jester”, generating buzz and clicks for engagement.
Some may ask: What if he does win? What if the populace decides to put their faith in a 44-year-old entrepreneur and self-proclaimed businessman to be their next president?
Currently, there’s no word certainty on if he will even be on the ballot in December. According to Cheddar, he’s applied for a party license but hasn’t been successful. He stated that he would alternatively run as an independent candidate.
Exercise in Futility?
On December 7, when the elections finally arrive, former president John Mahama of the NDC will likely emerge victorious with former Vice President Mahmoud Bawumia, coming in second place.
As of April 2024, a national poll shows that voters are currently in favor of the NDC returning to power in 2025.
Cheddar, at the time of this publication, is currently polling at 2.3% nationally. He is likely to get some votes in the general elections but mostly from his base. However, it will not be enough to move the needle.
The question is what happens with Cheddar after the elections?
He will most likely continue to live his life like he's always had. He will continue to invest in his companies and cozy up to entertainers and celebrities.
So what will be all this campaigning be for? Why even try? Is it just another marketing gimmick for his brand?
Some may ask: What if he does win? What if the populace decides to put their faith in a 44-year-old entrepreneur and self-proclaimed businessman to be their next president?
This author doesn't see that happening.
Regardless, it's the "audacity" that makes Cheddar interesting to most people and those who cover him in the media.
In 2020, at the height of COVID-19, he posted a video on his YouTube page, showing off a property in Bel Air, Los Angeles. In his video, he states that he wants to purchase it and turn it into his "quarantine home".
The price tag for the property is $139 Million. There's no confirmation on if he was serious about the purchase.
For many people, it's hard to take Cheddar as a serious presidential candidate. He's developed a fanbase who likes his "African Prince" gimmick while others find the brand rather comical.
His past remains a mystery to many. There have been rumors of how he obtained his wealth and his dealings in the UK. Some of those rumors include being a "drug mule" for dealers.
But those rumors haven't been proven and Cheddar is regarded as a legit businessman who is successful in real estate in Ghana.
Will the average Ghanaian vote for him as president? Not likely.
But having the "audacity" to even try and attempt to be president regardless of background is something to watch (and write about).
In the realm of politics, he's a bit out of his depth. But as an entrepreneur and businessman, he appears to have everything together to pass as a success story.
But as far as him getting the title "President" Jacob Caesar? Very audacious.
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