Politics of Wednesday, 28 May 2014

Source: Al-Hajj

Nana’s Man Wants Early Congress

-To save party from further rancor
- Confirms The aL-hAJJ's story


A superstar in the get Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo endorsed at-all-cost as flag bearer for the fourth time, Dr Amoako Tuffuor has confirmed The aL-haJJ’s Thursday, May 8, 2014 publication which among other things revealed that the serial flag bearer contender was in dire need of an early congress to save his fast fading and dipping popularity.


Though loyalists of the twice defeated flag bearer and even Nana Akufo-Addo himself, in their usual element came out to rubbish the publication, Dr Amoako Tuffuor, who begun announcing the twice defeated presidential candidate’s fourth flag bearer bid long before it was made public, could not hide the havoc a delayed congress is causing his candidate when he told an Accra radio station, Citi Fm that early congress was essential.

While counseling the National Executive Committee of the NPP to consider convening an early congress to put a break on the ongoing infighting among supporters of the potential flag bearer aspirants, the former disgraced but ‘redeemed’ national coordinator for the School Feeding Program voiced what were yet the clearest sentiments in the Akufo-Addo camp.

Speaking on Citi Fm’s Eyewitness News last week, the Nana Akufo-Addo ardent unrepentant lieutenant fervently admitted they (nana’s camp) prefer early congress when he stated “It helps, it may not be totally the solution but it is definitely a step in the right direction that an early congress will cut down on animosities and any form of attacks on potential candidates.”

Confirming The al-hAJJ’s publication, Dr Tuffuor emphasized the need for the current National Executives of the NPP to hold congress early beyond the constitutional requirement as this he said, will help address the problems of infighting which is characteristic of NPP flag bearer contests.

In a front page story headlined “Akufo-Addo Demands Early Congress” in the Thursday, May 8, 2014 edition of The al-hAJJ, the paper reported that “the Akyem Septuagenarian was hiding behind proxies to exert pressure on the new National Executives to convene early congress to elect flag bearer for the 2016 presidential polls…
A delay in holding the congress this paper gathered is gradually and deeply dipping the hitherto popularity of the former Abuakwa South MP within the NPP and if steps are not taken to exert pressure on NEC to organize the congress as early as possible, Nana Akufo-Addo’s fourth flag bearer bid could elude him”.

The paper went further to state that “Reports are that Nana Akufo-Addo’s fiercest rival, Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten, who is suspected to have strong ties with the new National Executives, is making serious in roads into Nana Akufo-Addo’s previously ironclad support base and is likely to snatch the ‘leadership’ of the opposition party from him”.

Feeling this pinch, Dr Amoako Tuffuor, whose Akufo-Addo’s colleague loyalists have openly denied the story and have even advised Ghanaians not to take the paper serious, jumped out of his rat hole and now piling pressure on the executives to organize an early congress.

Meanwhile, the National Executive Committee of the party at a recent meeting has landed on June 6 for opening of nominations for the flag bearer contest subject to approval by the NPP’s yet-to-be reconstituted National Council.