THE NPP’s presidential nomination front is boiling hot, amidst the addition of red-hot live coals which have further added a percentage of searing heat, as front-runners gallop to get their noses in front.
Two weekends ago, Minister for Works and Housing, Mr. Hackman Kwame Owusu Agyeman played host to a bunch of Constituency Delegates from far and near, to his plush Koforidua home.
Clever Mr. Owusu Aguyeman had done so over ‘Omo Tuo’, partnered by stews and soups that had meat of cattle and fowl stock dancing in them. And to showcase how polished he is, the Minister had a large assortment of drinks, around which delegates chose from, if indeed the food had to be watered down afterwards. But just where God cooks his AMPESI is exactly where SATAN roasts his KOOBI. Without warning, the devil struck in a few minutes compelling Mr. Owusu Agyeman to fall to the ground, right in front of the invitees.
But like a bouncing basketball, the energetic Minister rose from the floor making complete fun of the experience.
As to how he picked himself up from the ground and dusted himself up in record time, only God almighty can find the right adjectives to cover. But touch wood, fancy this accident happening at a state ceremony under the full glare of the cameras and the inquisitive NDC eyes. I bet you, it should spark of endless arguments for a long stretch of the time, given the Ghanaian society’s penchant for discussing the necessary and the unnecessary. There is also the smooth acceleration of dark horse, Prof. Mike Ocquaye who appears to have captured his native Greater Accra constituencies, as well as part of the Central region, particularly Mankessim and its environs that had schooled him way back down memory lane.
Benevolent and charitable work to all constituencies throughout Ghana appears to be a major plus.
Corn-mills and football jerseys are flying all over the place. The Professor’s train is moving steadily and gathering momentum such that, Mankessim’s bunch of constituencies have become so convinced to the extent that they have woven three Kentes he would don on party nomination day, state presidential election time, and President Kufuor’s handing over day.
The Professor has the ambitious rural electrification programme he piloted with an amazing helping-hand from India, as well as the philanthropic Corn-mill supply gesture and its attendant ¢10 million seed money as his trump card, where all the constituencies are concerned.
Next comes the dodgy campaign of Alan Kyeremanteng, said to be enjoying some support from the key man upstairs. His major drawback, just as pertains to Nana Yaw Osafo Marfo remains, his inability to relate on the intra-personal front to the would-be delegates, when they need him most.
But in terms of support and help, Big Alan is said to be matching the rest boot for boot. There is also the caravan of the issues-debating Dan Kweku Botwe, who, from all intents and purposes, looks to be a formidable candidate. Ideally, Mr. Botwe would have had a dream partnership with the late Madam Hawa Yakubu in a political marriage whose roots would have been implanted in the soils of the United States of America.
But as death would have it, Mr. Botwe has been robbed fatally yet, his sweet human warmth and inter-personal relationship with delegates throughout the country is something to be treasured and feared.
Defence Minister Mr. Addo Kufuor has a boisterous campaign machinery that could possibly sweep Ashanti constituencies, except that his blood relationship with the President could affect him elsewhere.
Agitated minds often question whether the presidency is a family affair. Mr. Addo Kufuor is however firmly rooted on the ground, even though occasionally his campaign team enters into controversial arguments that end up more minus than plus.
Interestingly, a couple of countries so convinced that the NDC and its presidential candidate would be no match, are getting too interested in whoever becomes the candidate. Among the pack are India and China, both of them progressive nations
Between now and December is a long way away in politics, especially NPP politics when pretty everything is possible. Underneath the boiling episode, a couple of uncomplimentary smearing is taking place, but as to whether anger against a brother will be felt in the flesh and not in the bone, only time will tell
The final prayer is that in the final analysis, all the presidential candidates should see themselves as blood relations, for the common good of the NPP and mother Ghana.