The General Secretary of the Convention Peoples Party, Kobina Ivor Greenstreet has jumped to the defense of the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, saying criticisms following his “all die be die” comments, are “an orchestration to make him appear unelectorable”.
Mr Greenstreet said Nana Addo’s comment was one directed at internal party members to prepare them for “the metaphorical political battle”.
Nana Akufo-Addo told party supporters in the Eastern Region on Tuesday February 8 that the NPP will not tolerate any attempts by members of the NDC to intimidate its members in the 2012 General Elections.

According to Nana Addo, the NPP was founded with courageous and bold people who are ready to die for the party if need be to wrestle political power in 2012.

His comments have since drawn widespread condemnation from party bigwigs from the ruling NDC, with some suggesting that the NPP flag bearer may be planning to engineer troubles during the 2012 polls.

However speaking on the Big Bite show on Xfm 95.1, a privately owned commercial radio station in Accra, Ivor Greenstreet said Nana Addo’s comments was in no way an inference to violence come 2012.

Touting Nana Addo as a man who hates violence and has been fighting for the rights of the individual, Mr Greenstreet further justified his comments by saying that it is the ruling National Democratic Congress’ own way of denigrating their opponents.

“Nana Addo’s personal political history should be able to tell Ghanaians that he does not believe in violence; he does not believe in subverting the rule of law and the constitutional provision which protects all Ghanaians. Rather on the contrary, he has been an individual who over many years has fought for the right of Ghanaians, has fought for the opening of the political space, for freedom of association and for freedom of speech”.

“So I think that it was more of an internal matter that he was speaking to his own rank and file, trying to get them prepared and ready for the struggle ahead”.

Rather than punching holes and looking for faults in Nana Addo’s comments, Mr Greenstreet advised the NDC to focus on delivering the better Ghana agenda they promised Ghanaians.

“It is clear that the incumbent NDC government has definite strategy to try and create the impression that Nana Addo is some kind of cocaine smuggler, violence and some kind of ‘gidigidi’ human being; but I think what they need to concentrate on doing is to show Ghanaians what their strategies are and what they are working on and stop spending time trying to pick on every word Nana Addo has to say and paint it in a certain light to the public”.

Story by Abena Asiedua Tenkorang/ Xfm 95.1/ Accra/ Ghana