Wednesday,
April 23, 2014
Even while vacationing in London for
6 months—allegedly seeking the face of God to tell him his future political
direction—the NPP’s Akufo-Addo did not detach himself from Ghanaian politics or
the NPP’s “book politics”. He said and did a lot to prove that he couldn’t do
without partisan politics.
And when he returned to Ghana, he
quickly indulged in acts that confirmed the impression that he won’t yield the
flagbearer slot to anybody. He gamboled about, visiting Kumasi in the style of
a head of state, relishing the open adulation given him, and declaring his
intention after hob-nobbing with personalities that he interacted with.
Before the Tamale conference, he
was really bubbling with everything to prove that he was the
be-it-all-and-end-it-all for the NPP. Apparently, his henchmen in charge of the
NPP had already declared him the de-facto flagbearer to boost his political
posturing.
That was the gusto with which he
entered Tamale for the national delegates’ conference—and he held himself up as
such. No challenger!!
Come April 13 when the results
showed that his henchmen had been jettisoned, the ominous suddenly took over. The
Akufo-Addo camp knows the element of which Paul Afoko (NPP National Chairman)
and Kwabena Agyepong (General Secretary) are made. Halt!!
Afoko might have openly declared
his neutrality, but that alone is not enough to restore the air of “a done deal”
to the Akufo-Addo camp. There is much about Afoko to haunt that camp. Kwabena
Agyepong too has enough to scare that camp. So is it for the other 8 national
officers , each nursing his or her own sentiments. It is all about human
nature.
There is much at stake now in the
NPP for Akufo-Addo to be scared of. Suddenly, tongues have begun wagging in demand
for a “fresh blood” and many other expectations that fall outside Akufo-Addo’s
scope.
Well, if you doubt it, just read
this opinion piece (http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/artikel.php?ID=306854)
by one of their own (Katakyie
Kwame Opoku Agyemang, Asante Bekwai-Asakyiri) to judge things for
yourself:
A careful reading of this opinion
piece should tell Akufo-Addo what lies in store for him. These are hard facts
to be accepted, digested, and used to appraise Akufo-Addo’s political
manouevres. They paint the true picture of him that explains why he couldn’t
appeal to voters at Elections 2008 and 2012 and which will likely work against
him again if chosen for Election 2016.
Although portrayed as the most
popular, he can’t escape what is building up to torment him. Three main factors
accentuate the fate awaiting him: qualms about his personal leadership style;
the age factor; lack of appeal to floating voters (for whatever reason); the
deepening gulf between his camp and others in the party; personality traits;
the call for a younger candidate to move the NPP forward; and many more.
Those howling themselves lame
with the slogan “No Nana No Vote” are only adding more fuel to the fire that
will burn them all if their interests worsen the party’s plight.
Perhaps, the sudden silence from
the Akufo-Addo camp is just an inkling of what lies ahead. Has fear already
gripped that camp? In many cases, epiphany can be traumatizing, even if it
leads to reformation for a good cause.
I have heard one of those loud-mouthed
NPP members say the other day that the current situation in the country have
already secured victory for the NPP at Election 2016. I laughed him to scorn.
It is not automatic that the
failures of the Mahama-led administration will endear Akufo-Addo to the hearts
of voters. I am reminded of Dr. Konadu Apraku’s call for a candidate who can
APPEAL to the voters (mostly the undecided floating voters) and his conclusion
that Akufo-Addo isn’t that candidate.
To worsen the situation for him,
his henchmen are not learning any lesson to improve their politicking. They
have chosen to undermine Alan Kyerematen, as Mustapha Hamid did the other day,
telling Alan to stand as an independent candidate if he feels he is that much
popular. Apparently, the justification for such an unguarded utterance is that
Akufo-Addo already has the flagbearer slot for Election 2016.
But the post-Tamale goings-on don’t
persuade me that Akufo-Addo is the de-facto flagbearer. The under-currents after
that conference are really strong. Thus, any misguided strategy that the
followers of Akufo-Addo adopt to privilege him (such as the persistent
bad-mouthing of Kyerematen) will only worsen the situation, which explains why the
Akufo-Addo camp needs to tread cautiously.
Cries for Northerners to take the
NPP back add more to the uncertainties. So also will it be for any
Kyerematen-Apraku collaboration against Akufo-Addo’s interests, especially if
one adds the fallouts from the factionalism tearing the party apart.
Of course, talk of an Akyem Mafia
may be dismissed but the Ashanti enclave (long seen as opposed to Akufo-Addo
and likely to be given shape by Kyerematen and Apraku) is likely to sympathize
with a Kyerematen-Apraku alliance.
Or, plain sabotage may be used to
doom Akufo-Addo. It may be in the form of adroit campaigns against him or a
calculated apathy on voting day. After all, we heard about such steps at
Elections 2008 and 2012, which some adduced as the reason for Akufo-Addo’s electoral
loss. At 2016, such anti-Akufo-Addo moves may be made, especially if
arm-twisting earns him the slot. Who knows? In the internal politics of such
parties, anything is possible.
Putting everything together,
then, we can’t fail to notice why the Akufo-Addo camp is now not as
rambunctious as it had been before the Tamale conference.
Has fear suddenly gripped
Akufo-Addo’s camp already?
I
shall return…
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E-mail:
mjbokor@yahoo.com
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