Silence means consent. The idea here is that if you don't disagree, you automatically agree. Keeping quiet is the same as giving permission. It has become a concept of social interaction, which people tend to assume to mean a lack of response to an action as tacit approval of that action.

An example of the thought process: “If nobody complains about the “borla” I placed in my front yard, then it must be that nobody's bothered by it. In fact, everybody may be bothered by it; they're just being silent. You can't be sure that their silence truly means they are consenting to it.” On the other side of the coin, if you are being silent about an issue, be aware that others may very well be interpreting that as consent.

Ever since the 25th of April, a group calling itself Get Alan Kyerematen Elected has been very vociferous, albeit through the use of very nauseating comments, on the media landscape in trying to ensure that NPP delegates elect their mentor, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, as the Presidential Candidate of the NPP for the 2016 elections.

According to the National Co-ordinator of this group, Okatakyie Kwame Opoku Agyeman, “branches of the group are being set up in all the regions, districts, constituencies, and polling stations”, with the sole motive of getting “genuine patriots who will be able to convince the delegates to vote for a candidate (Alan Kyerematen) that can win the NPP political power in 2016.”

However, the modus operandi of this group has been to rain and heap insults on Nana Akufo-Addo. Such has been the distasteful nature of their attacks that they even go to the extent of wishing and praying for death to lay its icy fingers on Nana Akufo-Addo should he emerge victorious in 2016.

As though to join Jerry John Rawlings in commemorating the June 4 coup d’état, GAKE issued a press statement on Wednesday, once again to attack Nana Akufo-Addo describing him in unprintable words, all in the name of trying to lead the NPP.

Not even a single press release by GAKE has extolled the virtues and attributes of Alan Kyerematen. The closest they came to that was by asking NPP delegates to vote for Alan because he is tall and handsome. It is crystal clear that GAKE believes the only way to ensure Alan wins is to destroy Nana Addo. This is not only shameful but truly unfortunate.

Surprisingly to some of us, none of these attacks on Nana Addo has elicited a response or condemnation from Alan Kyerematen. Nothing has been heard from Alan calling this group to order. Should it be a difficult thing to dissociate yourself from a group you have not sanctioned? If indeed, this group is not doing Alan’s bidding, Alan Kyerematen must come out immediately and dissociate himself from it.

Alan’s continued silence on this issue gives some of us the impression that he is fully in the know of these attacks on Nana Addo. It gives us the impression that he is the one directing GAKE and Okatakyie Opoku Agyeman on how the contents of their demonic and well-rehearsed script should be carried out to the letter, to ostensibly damage the fortunes of Nana Addo and the NPP in 2016.

For example, if he knew nothing about the activities of GAKE, why would this group and others boldly come out to state that Alan allegedly donated 40 pickups and $5 million to the campaign of Nana Akufo-Addo? Alan, hasn’t come out to deny that he is the source of this wrong filla, although this has been sharply rebutted by Boakye Agyarko.

To give further credence to the fact that Alan could be neck deep in these GAKE attacks, his spokesperson, Nana Yaw Ampratwum could not even come out to condemn the activities of GAKE. On Adom FM, Nana Yaw Ampratwum, in an interview on Adom FM on Tuesday, stated that Alan was not interested in singling out GAKE, “because if we do that another group can also emerge and do the same thing.” Like seriously???

To my surprise, National Officers of the NPP have remained silent on this matter, whilst Alan boys denigrate Nana Akufo-Addo, who will become the party’s Presidential Candidate for 2016, Insha Allah. Is it because Chairman Afoko and General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong are in “bed” with Alan, according to the words of Okatekyie Kwame Opoku Agyemang, in an interview with Sources Radio, a UK based radio station?

It is about time Alan came out to distance himself from this sheer act of wickedness being perpetrated by his boys. Mr. Alan Kyerematen, keeping silent means consent. Keeping quiet is the same as giving permission.

Mohammed Alhassan

Builsa South Constituency