Politics of Thursday, 14 February 2013

Source: The Al-Hajj

Kwabena Agyepong launches bid for 2016

Barring any last minute hitch, former Press Secretary to ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor and one-time flagbearer aspirant of the New Patriotic Party, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong will once again be staking a claim to the leadership of the elephant family in the 2016 battle.

Credible information gathered by The Al-Hajj from a source close to Mrs. Lawrencia Agyepong, wife of Eng. Kwabena Agyapong indicates that, she has been confirming to friends of her husband’s intention of leading the NPP into the 2016 elections.

In one such encounter, the hitherto less discussant of politics, Mrs. Agyepong, currently pursuing her PhD, was head seriously telling a close friend of the advantages her husband has over any other candidate likely to contest him at the impending NPP delegates congress to select a flag bearer.

In no surprising manner, the yet-to-be-called flag bearer’s wife, has started schooling herself on the do’s and don’ts of a partner of a presidential candidate and possibly a first lady; should in case the former Sports Commentator succeeds in becoming the President of Ghana. Mrs. Agyapong considers her husband’s flagbearership bid a done deal.

Meanwhile, sources close to Mr. Kwabena Agyapong, who is also a former Mfanstipim Secondary School Library Prefect and a close pal of Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has confirmed Mr. Agyepong’s plan of leading the NPP in the next presidential election.

What is however not clear is whether Mr. Agyepong, who strangely has been at the forefront of Nana Addo’s political battle, has seen his party’s challenge of the election results as fighting a losing battle, hence the urgent need to start dusting his Curriculum Vitae and preparing catchy campaign messages and slogan ahead of the party’s delegate congress.

The Alan ‘boy’ is said to be counting on the hopes that since many Ghanaians voted for President John Dramani Mahama because of his relatively young age, he also stands the chance of being elected flag bearer of the NPP.

“Now that Alan Kyerematen is seriously jostling to be elected Director-General of the World Trade Organization, Mr. Agyepong sees himself as the next formidable person to lead the NPP…if it happens that Alan misses out the WTO and he comes to contest, that will not deter Mr. Agyepong from contesting because his age alone is a factor and the party will have no choice than to vote a young man like him…you realize that the NDC used Nana’s age against him and they will not like to repeat the same mistake, especially when Mahama is likely to lead them to the 2016 election”, a close pal of Kwabena Agyepong disclosed to this reporter.

The one time flag bearer aspirant’s latest penchant for showing up at almost every radio or television program on behalf of the NPP goes beyond his acclaimed love for the party and Nana Addo, according to another source, “but rather tailored to reinvigorate his life-long presidential ambition which he launched when he was chased out as Press Secretary of former President Kufuor.”

Mr. Kwabena Agyapong, who holds a Masters degree in Water Management from UK and was alleged to have been sponsored by businessman, Alfred Agbesi Woyome was among the 17 flag bearer aspirants of the New Patriotic Party in 2007, but lost to Nana Akufo-Addo.

The seemingly abrasive justification of the NPP’s position on national issues in the media by Mr. Agyepong, who until the twilight of the December 2012 election campaign was conspicuously missing in Nana Akufo-Addo’s line-up of able spin-doctors has set many political watchers scratching their heads and chewing their pen tops on whether there is some iota of truth in the latest revelation by the garrulous Assin Central MP and NPP financier, Kennedy Ohene Agyepong.

The foul-mouth MP and virulent NDC critic last week lashed out at some members of his own party, who he claims pretends to be working for Nana Akufo-Addo to become President but behind the scenes where also scheming to deny him the presidency so they could get the chance to become flag bearers.

The Al-Hajj checks on this matter has uncovered that Mr. Kwabena Agyepong is among the people Kennedy Agyepong was apparently referring to.

According to a source, there are some destructive elements within the NPP who publicly behave as if they love Nana Addo, but will privately make statements to ridicule him and bring his name into disrepute.

The source cited an instance where Mr Agyepong went on air to say that Nana Akufo-Addo, indeed attended Havard University; “at a time each party member was tight-lipped on the matter,” adding, such conducts shows clearly that some people within the party worked against Nana Addo.