-to make way for Bawumia


As members of the opposition New Patriotic Party have come to accept what they have denied over the years that the NPP is an Akan-based party and are now ‘fighting’ to erase it, there is an intense lobbying in the party for the twice failed vice presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, to be made an automatic flag bearer of the party for the 2016 presidential election.
As part of plans to give the NPP a national character and appeal, some party kingpins are crusading for delegates to vote for non-Akans contesting National Executives positions in the April 12 election.
At the same time intense pressure is said to be mounting on twice defeated presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and his political nemesis and former Trade Minister, Mr Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen to shelve their presidential ambitions.
Both former senior ministers in the Kufuor government are been pressured to bow out and rally round Dr Bawumia in order to provide a solid, united and non-Akanistic front to confront the running National Democratic Congress in the next presidential election.
Party insiders say, Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kyerematen’s quest to establish themselves as ideal candidates to lead the party to victory after exiting office in 2008, has created serious division within the NPP; hence the need to elect a neutral non-Akan in the person of Dr Bawumia to lead the party.
Revealing how intense the pressure is on Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kyerematen to sacrifice their presidential ambitions for the sake of victory in 2016, an NPP columnist, Akosomo Kwadwo Nyantakyi in an article titled “Akufo Addo and Alan must bow out for Bawumia” explained why both former Ministers must give way for the former deputy Governor of the Central Bank.
Notwithstanding the popularity of Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kyerematen, the NPP columnist argued that it would be disastrous for the biggest opposition party to elect any of the two former senior Ministers as it leader for the next presidential election scheduled for 2016.
In an article widely published last week in response to media report suggesting Akufo Addo is contemplating not to go for a third term bid, the renowned columnist welcomed the idea and stated that quest by the duo (Akufo Addo and Alan) to get elected as leader of the party over the years have created cavernous cracks and division in the party.
Considering the fact that President John Dramani Mahama of the NDC has an incumbency advantage over the NPP, Akosomo Kwadwo Nyantakyi posited that the leading opposition party needed a united front to face the ruling party.
Arguing that neither Nana Akufo-Addo nor Alan Kyerematen’s election as flag bearer would bring unity in the NPP, he wrote “Choosing one of these two aspirants to lead the party will be recipe for disaster. Yet, the NPP party will not need to campaign the breath and length of the country if the right person is chosen by consensus…
“Of all the leadership aspirants the only one without blemish and who commands respect among the divided NPP party is Dr Mumuni Bawumia.
“Bawumia is young, good-looking, articulate, tall and unassuming. He comes from the North and a real “tinpanbia” northerner and if given the nod will debunk the notion that NPP is Akan party.”
He added that “The NPP had equal playing field with Mahama during the 2012 election as Mills and Mahama had then performed poorly in gov’t. At this time Mahama is the incumbent and has advantage. NPP cannot face him on divided front, give Dr. Bawumia a chance and he will surely deliver one touch for NPP”
Blaming the last two defeats of the NPP under the leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo on physical looks, Akosomo Kwadwo Nyantakyi added “The two past elections proved that our candidate has not attracted that independent vote and therefore need a change at the top. Old age and diminutive structure does not influence prolific votes from the independents...
“The odds are heavily against NPP this time as Mahama is incumbent. Some boneheads think Mills went for 3 times but forget who he contested with. Kufour was handsome, tall and likeable person, Mills couldn’t defeat him but here came Nana and Mills became the president.”
Explaining why the candidature of the former Trade Minister in the Kufuor administration, who is also said to be lacing his boot to lead the party, would keep the NPP in opposition after the 2016 election, the columnist noted that Alan Kyerematen went to sleep during the election petition hearing and only surfaced at judgment day, therefore, he cannot be trusted.
“Alan was indifferent during the Supreme rourt hearing, only showed up at the judgment day to be part of the victory parade or the sympathetic group, he cannot be trusted, please reject him. In conclusion I want to repeat Bawumia is man of vision with political influence who can change the NPP demographic base. Even the avowed haters of Akan people the Ewes will flock to him and independent votes would not elude NPP,” he noted.
Both Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen are rumored to be eyeing the 2016 flag bearer slot of the NPP. In the case of the former Abuakwa South Member of Parliament, it has been said that his physicians both in Accra and London have asked him not to risk his life by contesting for the third time.
Nana Akufo-Addo’s wife, Mrs Rebecca Akufo-Addo and notable members of his family, are said to have ceded to the physicians, citing his advancing age, and are reported pressurizing him to abandon his childhood dream for good.
Though Akufo-Addo is said not bothered so much about his age and health status, he is said to have though reluctantly, endorsed Dr Bawumia to fit into his flag bearer shoes, a decision that is rumored to have been supported by former President Kufuor who has also proposed MP for Essekado-Ketan, Mr Joe Ghartey as running mate.
In the case of Alan Kyerematen, he is said to have taken his political destiny into his own as his former boss, Mr Kufuor has dumped him for Dr Bawumia and as such he has vowed to contest the flag bearer-ship with or without the support of the former president.
Party insiders say Dr Bawumia and Joe Ghartey’s paring is a political strategy to win votes in the three northern regions, and Western and Central regions to add to the NPP votes in the Ashanti and Eastern regions to secure resounding victory for the party in 2016.