Former Defence Minister in the Kufuor administration, Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, is rallying support for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2016 elections.

Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor is convinced that the party’s twice defeated flagbearer represents the NPP’s best chance of snatching the presidency from the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Who leads the opposition party to the 2016 presidential election is a question that threatens to divide the NPP, as some senior politicians like Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, have publicly expressed their desire for a change in leadership.

But even before Nana Akufo-Addo declares his intention as to whether he would run for the nomination or not, on Thursday, many party bigwigs and grassroots supporters have insisted that he must lead the party for the third time.

Dr. Apraku, former Health Minister Dr Richard Anane and twice-defeated flagbearer candidate Alan Kyerematen are believed to be nursing ambitions to vie for the nomination.

However, Dr. Addo Kufuor says the leadership and political maturity shown by Nana Akufo-Addo after the Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging the outcome of the 2012 elections had endeared him to many Ghanaians and therefore made him the NPP’s best bet.

“The party will do itself [a lot of] good if it endorses a Nana Addo and Dr. Bawumia combination for 2016,”Dr. Addo Kufuor, a member of the party’s Disciplinary Committee stated in an exclusive interview with Nhyira FM in Kumasi.

He called on all party sympathizers to use established structures to address their grievance instead of rushing to the media to create unnecessary anxiety among grassroots supporters.

Wontumi

In a related development, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako popularly called Wontumi, has stated emphatically that Nana Akufo-Addo is the suitable person to lead the party to win political power in 2016.

He has consequently proposed that Nana Akufo-Addo be allowed to lead the NPP as its flagbearer, unopposed, should he decide to contest for the highest seat on the land for the third-time running in 2016.

Wontumi said Nana Addo should be maintained as the party’s flagbearer and other party big wigs like ex-President Kufuor and Kwadwo Mpiani should be made to play leading roles in the campaign for 2016, as that would help the NPP to win the 2016 elections.

According to the Ashanti Regional NPP chairman, Nana Akufo Addo’s popularity across the country had reached its all-time high now. Therefore, it would be easier for the NPP to market him to win more votes to help the party to oust the NDC from power.

Wontumi said his open declaration for Nana Akufo-Addo did not mean he was being biased towards the former Foreign Affairs Minister, noting that he was just being realistic with regard to what was good for the NPP.

“As for me, I support the idea of Nana Akufo-Addo being allowed to contest as the NPP presidential candidate for 2016 unopposed, should he decide to gun for the highest seat on the land again in 2016,” the Ashanti Regional NPP chairman stated on Kessben FM.

Wontumi said if Nana Akufo-Addo decides on Thursday that indeed he would wish to contest for the presidential seat once again in 2016, then he would be the first person to propagate the idea that the two-time NPP flagbearer be given the chance to contest the seat again.