...In Election 2012 If………


I wrote on my facebook wall a coupe of days ago that: ‘Nana Addo is likely to be the source of his own defeat in election 2012’. Then some friends quickly fired back: ‘give reasons’ I did give reasons for my wall post though and none of them came back with further comments.

There is no doubt at all that, the events that preceded the election of Nana Addo as the leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was soaring! It was to be expected. And if there was to be another leadership contest within the NPP- similar events and scenario would cropped up.

It is NEVER going to be possible for any leader to score 100% of the votes of the delegates in any NPP primaries- and it is also never ever going to be possible for a politician to only be garlanded with endless praises without criticisms which some fanatics calls “insults’.

After the primary all the speeches that passed through the lips of the various speakers were that of unity for victory- and rightly so such calls were to be made. There is no way any political party on this earth including the NPP can win elections without unity!
The truth is that, the calls for unity in the NPP is not yet achieving the desire effect. The problem to be blunt is from supporters of Nana Addo. They are of the view that, those who never supported Nana Addo during the leadership contest within the NPP should not be given any welcome within the party and the Nana Addo’s campaign.
Such people to me are only showing naivety. Nana Addo can not win any elections in Ghana without first winning the ‘elections’ of uniting his party first! And those fanatics who have constructed iron -fenced walls around Nana Addo and his campaign must be told that: they are the worst enemies of the NPP! Nana Addo must tell his campaign team without any delay that, such over-enthusiastic stance from within some of his ‘staff’ will not help him any day.
All talents are needed on board for an NPP victory and it will be madness for anybody within the Nana Addo’s team to think that, they have enough of all talents. They still need a lot and must be told that, humility pays when it comes to talents.
Some in the Nana Addo’s team are behaving like those social commentators who call themselves media consultants just because they go for newspaper review on Peacefm, Nyirafm etc. I said somewhere that: ‘there was everything different between speaking English on one hand and political communications, news management, public relations etc on the other-hand.
Another group within the Nana Addo’s team has stated parading constituencies and alleging that: ‘Nana Addo has asked them to come and contest as Parliamentarians to support his leadership bid in 2016.’ This has been brought to the attention of Nana Addo but he seems helpless about the situation!
Nana Addo as a matter of urgency must come out to disassociate himself from such characters. If he chooses to keep mute about it then he would have been harming his own victory in 2012. I have met people who have told me that: if Nana Addo fails to distance himself from such charlatans, all they will do will be to fold their arms and not support the NPP in any way. Others too have hinted that- if it is confirmed, Nana Addo has a hand in what is happening- then they will contest as independent candidates against the party’s Candidates in 2012.
They should not be any complacency here- Nana Addo must condemn the misuse of his name in the various constituencies for his own sake and future. Any silence would mean he is in approval of what is happening around the country with his name.
In a democracy, nobody can bare any member of a political party from contesting for any position; parliamentary elections inclusive. But competence, marketability and personalities who have cross party support must be encouraged to present themselves. Mere party popularity or mere loyalty of the leader of the party of the day must NEVER be the deciding factor(s) no matter what! If loyalty is to be used then the NPP should expect lots of ‘idiots’ having very funny reasons why they should be the ones to be voted to represent their parties in the various constituencies.
I have been to Ghana on countless occasions, and I must say that, the worst times are happening in the country: Mere presidential Aides allegedly using 1.6Billion for hampers, 1.3Billion for Chelsea tea and Kebabs the other time, excruciating poverty in all directions, huge graduate unemployment in the country- leaving most Ghanaians to wonder who actually is ruling the country!
There is no doubt at all that, Ghanaians needs a Messiah to save them from the disastrous occurrences in the country- and the NPP has the chance to salvage the situation, however, that opportunity will slip by if Nana Addo fails to concentrate on election 2012 for now by calling those using or misusing his name in the various constituencies to order.
Let us stop pretending that, there is unity in the NPP. There is no unity in the party for now. Sincerest effort must be put in place to achieve absolute unity for guaranteed victory in election 2012. A word to the wise is…..

Akilu Sayibu UK,
Email: Akilu.Sayibu@bbc.co.uk