Opinions of Thursday, 6 December 2012

Columnist: Tweneboah-Koduah, Nana Akua

NPP Goes Terribly Negative

By Nana Akua Tweneboah-Koduah

In one instance the NPP is trying to portray that it is counting on God to give them victory on Friday December 7. Giant billboards with boldly inscribed words like, “The Battle Is The Lords”, that have suddenly appeared at vantage points say it all. In another case they are deceiving Ghanaians into believing that they are running a clean campaign devoid of violence, insults and negativity.

Did you not hear Akufo-Addo suddenly asking President Mahama not to spill anyone’s blood to retain power? If there is anybody in Ghana today who is considered highly dangerous to our democracy the direction certainly points towards Akufo-Addo. Yet Akufo-Addo is trying to project himself as a man of peace hence the call he made over the weekend.

But as the NPP is doing all that to put up a good face to voters, they are back to their old tricks again. Having seen that the 2012 election is slipping through their fingers with each passing day and with defeat starring them in the face, the NPP have decided to save their fully-packed lies for this week. Printed propaganda leaflets that show imaginary houses of supposed NDC members and other materials lying big time about President Mahama are being circulated across the length and breadth of the country just to tarnish the image of the NDC to voters.

I have seen some of the leaflets and it is laughable and highly misleading. For instance, I know Felix Ofosu Kwakye of the NDC Communications Team who is renting an apartment in Accra. Therefore, if the NPP has a leaflet saying that he had built a mansion in Accra, it is not only misleading, shameful and laughable but very pathetic.

The NPP Communications Team which has nothing to sell about Akufo-Addo apart from relying on sheer propaganda and trumpeting his highly dubious promises did not learn anything from ex-president JA Kufuor’s admonition on Thursday November 22 in Accra. During a secret meeting held in Accra on that day, JA Kufuor told the NPP Communications Team that they have ran a bad political campaign largely based on sheer propaganda and as a result, Akufo-Addo will not win the up-coming elections.

JA Kufuor who is the most visible NPP guru currently campaigning for the floundering campaign of Akufo-Addo further told the NPP Communications Team that even when President Mills died and suddenly the political wind changed in favour of the NDC, they still did not change course but resorted to the same old campaign strategy which is now not working in their favour.

Therefore, it is strange that Nana Akomea who was at the meeting did not learn anything but is behind the circulation of dubious printed materials to deceive voters. In politics if you are credible and have something good to sell about yourself, you don’t do this last minute negativity.

Power is slipping through the hands of Akufo-Addo. Those in Accra have seen it and the NPP people feel the vibe which is not going their way. Some have even started shouting Alan Kyeremanteng’s 2016 slogan. This election certainly does not belong to Akufo-Addo. Privately, the NPP people have seen it and there is no excitement and energy at their political campaigns.

Nana Akufo-Addo, whose 2012 campaign was manned and directed by the Akyem group with the Ashantis largely marginalized, is going to go down. Akufo-Addo will not win; therefore, this late negativity will not help them out. Almost every voter in Ghana today knows who they are going to vote for on Friday. Unless Akufo-Addo is still an undecided voter!

nakuakoduah@yahoo.com