Opinions of Saturday, 4 October 2014

Columnist: Ampofo, Osei

Akuffo Addo set to lose October 18 elections

It all looks set for a very shocking defeat for Nana Akuffo Addo as the NPP prepares for its delegate congress on October 18. Indications are rift that the grassroot of the major opposition party are bent on showing they claim ownership of the party and not to be deterred by the choice made by the super delegates in the recent elections. 

Nana Akuffo Addo who polled 598 out of the 740 to become the forerunner to lead the NPP in election 2016 might be leaving in a dream world of leading the party for the third time running but may be shock to know that there is high resolve of the party's grassroot which make up the majority of the over 140,000 delegates to take part in the October congress. Opinion gathered from the party's branches across the country has confirmed that Alan Kyeremanten who is seen as a more humble candidate is the overwhelming choice of the likely delegates. The delegates detest the violent character that has been associated with Nana Akuffo Addo which they see as very bad omen if the party is to win the 2016 elections and to safe Ghaianaians from the corrupt Mahama-led government.

To confirm their willpower to elect Alan Kyeremanten come October 18, the over 70,000 supposed delegates spoken to posited that, if it were the 740 super delegates who decides for the NPP, Sir John and Jake Obetsebi Lamptey may still be at post as General Secretary and party Chairman respectively. " The people who voted for Nana Akuffo Addo are those that he once supported to their current party leadership positions and are therefore attached to his apron string and will vote for Nana even after his death" some retorted. "We are going to show them we the grassrooters are in the majority and a selected few will not impose on us someone rejected by Ghanaians in two elections, we need power now and Nana cannot guarantee the NPP winning any elections" the group averred. 

"Humility is paramount in leadership and Alan has proven to be the chosen one by the grassroot which is in the majority. Nana has brought so much violence to our party and Ghana will suffer if he is elected president" they stated.

From the ongoing, the NDC should better re-strategize their attention as Nana Akuffo Addo will certainly not be the presidential candidate for the NPP. It has now been revealed that almost the 598 super delegates who voted for Akuffo Addo were amongst the 1,990 delegates that voted for Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie in order to push the Akuffo Addo agenda. It has also come to light that Nana Akuffo Addo betrayed Jake Obetsebi Lamptey by influencing delegates to vote for Stephen Ntim who he considered a more reliable ally to push the agenda. So, even if the power of the 598 super delegates who voted for Nana Akuffo Addo could not outdo the 2,034 for Paul Afoko and a further 2, 529 for Kwabena Agyei Agyepong out of the 5200 votes cast by delegates, then the stakes are high that Nana Akuffo Addo will certainly not win the October 18 elections. Even the most die-hard NPP sympathizer knows too well that if it were the 740 super delegates alone who voted during the April National Executives elections, Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyei Agyapong wouldn't have been elected.

This our source gathered is well known to the Akuffo Addo camp hence the popularly outrageous calls for Alan Kyeremanten to withdraw from the race in name of party unity. Their fear stem from the fact that if their agenda could be thwarted by only 5,200 delegates who voted at the National executive elections in April, then it will be impossible to subdue the grassroot majority that make up the 140,000 delegates expected at the October 18 congress. It has also been reported that the voting process during the super delegate elections were so close to even trace "who votes for who" leading many of the delegates who for fear of victimization were compelled to follow a certain trend- vote Nana. This atmosphere of intimidation will not characterize the much broad-based October 18 congress thereby given Alan Kyeremanten the edge over Akuffo Addo.

If the NPP grassroot truly make up the majority of the 140,000 delegates to take part in the October 18 elections, then the statistics are perfectly suited for an Alan Kyeremanten victory. All is getting set for another gentle giant to lead the NPP to victory in 2016.

Osei Ampofo 

Afigya Sekyere West Constituency

oseifrankampofo@gmail.com