Thursday,
April 10, 2014
My good friends,
even as we continue to acknowledge the enormity of the challenges facing the
Mahama-led administration and why solving problems is taking too long, we can't
lose sight of what is happening at the NPP front.
We will continue
to monitor goings-on and comment on them with the view to raising pertinent
perspectives to enrich the discourse on governance and Ghana's hope for the
future.
I say so because
of the impression already created by NPP leaders and followers that their party
is the only hope for Ghana. This claim is all too pervasive, which is why we
can't overlook happenings in the party, especially as it gathers steam for
Saturday's national delegates conference in Tamale to elect national officers
to manage the party's affairs for Election 2016 and beyond.
So far, the
slate is not clean. Complaints, accusations/counter-accusations, allegations of
impropriety in canvassing for votes or anomalies in the register of voters,
controversy over proxy voting, ineligibility of certain officials to vote, and
many more have taken centre-stage to create the impression that some
head-butting is going on and will likely worsen either before, during, or after
the conference.
As Kwadwo
Owusu-Afriyie digs in and seems to be the favourite to retain his position as
general Secretary, the mudslinging against him intensifies. Many calls from
those who matter in the party that the delegates should reject him seem to have
capped it all. But he remains unfazed, apparently assured of some
"omen" that Lady Luck would smile on him at Tamale.
Jake
Obetsebi-Lamptey may be quiet, but he seems to know what he is about. So also
are the other contestants, all poised to spring surprises, provided nothing is
done by those heavily slanted against them to muddy the waters.
Paul Afoko,
aspiring national chairman, is one contestant who has already been complaining
about many "irregularities".
Having been
"damaged" during the vetting process only to be rescued at the
eleventh hour to put in his bid, he seems to have some premonition, which is
why he won't sit down to be cajoled and eventually doomed
He says he has
been betrayed by some bigwigs of the party to whom he had written a letter
complaining about issues, and suggesting that some officials (including
Akufo-Addo) shouldn't be allowed to vote. He has already expressed
reservations.
Akufo-Addo says
he will vote!!
We take note of
the head-start advantage that Akufo-Addo has gained over others contemplating
contesting for the party's flagbearership. He is in Tamale, showcasing himself
as the front-runner.
Others
interested in the flagbearership may feel either intimidated or overwhelmed.
Notwithstanding, Alan Kyerematen has confirmed that he will bid for the party’s
presidential candidate position for 2016.
In a goodwill
message to the NPP ahead of its national delegates conference in the Northern
Region, he said:
"Ladies and
gentlemen, I know that some people would still want to hear from me about my
intentions to contest the flagbearership of our party when the time comes. I
don’t think that so far I have left anybody in doubt as my readiness and
intention to do so, but just in case anybody still has any doubt, my yes answer
is YES! I am still ready and will contest when the time comes”.
The manner in
which Akufo-Addo is approaching the conference and internal politics is
intriguing, apparently because of what he had given about himself while
vacationing in London and postponing his return to Ghana.
He is on record
as having said that he decided not to return in February (when the conference
was scheduled for March) because he didn't want to be seen as manipulating the
delegates to vote for candidates of his choice.
Yet, he has
dashed to Tamale two clear days before the conference takes place; and news
reports about his movements suggest that he is reaching out to the party's
supporters. What for?
The factionalism
that exists in the party is astounding, even though the human ostriches have
denied it. We can tell from the jostling going on that certain aspirants are
already blacklisted or positioned to be rejected just because of their
perceived loyalty to or against Akufo-Addo.
Indeed, the
stage seems to have been set for tension to heighten. Only those with vested
interests will know the extent to which they want to manipulate the situation
to advantage; but that manipulation will come at a great cost to the party,
eventually.
Whether the
party can withstand the pressure is anybody's guess. My conjecture, however, is
that given the underhand dealings going on and the open expression of
misgivings by some aspirants and their supporters, the Tamale conference will
be a turning point for the party. The intrigues are really heavy!
For now, those
who think that all is well and that there is no cause for alarm can continue to
please themselves. In the end, they are likely to shudder and then shatter as
reality sinks. Eyes are watching!!
I shall return…
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E-mail:
mjbokor@yahoo.com
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me on Facebook at: http://www.facebook.com/mjkbokor to continue
the conversation.
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