.

Who in Ghana’s history has said that the election before us is an “all die be die” affair? And who said that the tribe he belongs to is an Akan so “yen akanfo dee” meaning we the Akans, to demonstrate the fact that the Akans are superior to all the other tribes in Ghana. Therefore if an Akan is not the President of Ghana or a Presidential Candidate of a political party, then Ghana does not have a President and that political party is a non-starter. Do you remember the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama of the NPP?

Those words were said by Ghana almost most defeated Presidential Candidate in Ghanaian history. He is Nana Akufo-Addo, and Nana has said it again.

Nana Akufo-Addo, when addressing delegates of the NPP at the Radach Memorial Hall in Tamale on July 31, made this statement. “We are not interested in playing the blame game. We are only interested in doing what is right for our democracy. Let us all work together on this. Ghanaian elections should not be West African election”

I am more concerned about the last part of the statement which says, “Ghana elections should not be West African election” Now, who told or advised Nana that Ghanaian elections has been West African election? What is the evidence or proof to make such a reckless statement? When he sent that bogus 2012 election petition to the Supreme Court, that wasted 8 months of Ghana’s time and productivity, was he able to proof that the election in question was a West African election?

Why is Nana Akufo-Addo so dangerous to our young democracy? The NPP is not seeing Peace and Ghana is not seeing Peace, all because of Nana Akufo-Addo. How can a twice defeated Presidential Candidate and still in the race make such a reckless statement? That, Ghana elections should not be a West African election. Which constituencies did Nana see that other West African nationals were voting in Ghanaian elections? What did he do about that and were NPP and other party polling agents not at those polling stations? In the 2012 bogus election petition, why didn’t he make that the goal or outcome of the petition but rather made the goal that the whole results be overturned so he becomes President?

I am using this platform to call on the Electoral Commission to, as a matter of urgency, take Nana Akufo-Addo to court for him to go and explain and proof why Ghana elections has been a West African election. I see such reckless statements to be very dangerous to our democracy as it came from a Presidential Candidate who has some following. What happens if the uneducated serial callers of the NPP pick it up and run with it through the towns and villages? And what will happen if the NPP is again defeated in the 2016 elections and some embittered supporters think that the elections were a West African election? Are we not aware of how some countries have been reduced to ashes due to reckless and unguided political statements made by their Presidential Candidates and politicians?

If Nana Akufo-Addo has caused confusion, division and hatred in the NPP, he should leave them there for the NPP to sort them out. Since the NPP has nothing to offer Ghanaians, they will spend all their precious time resolving the confusion, division and hatred the presence of Nana Akufo-Addo has created. And when they lose elections, they call it a West Africa election. I can tell you for a fact that if Nana had resigned from active politics after the 2012 elections, the NPP would not be in this messy situation it finds itself today, and Ghana would have moved steps forward because 8 months of our time would not have been wasted.

Nana should leave its bad omens with the NPP. He should not attempt to extend it to the country and across our borders. We are sick and tired of such reckless and unguided statements from a high level politician like him. If he can’t win general elections in Ghana, he should rather do a serious soul searching and leave the 21st politics to the young ones in the country. It is not too late to do that. At the age of 72, no right thinking Ghanaian will vote for him to become President of Ghana whose age is only 57. When he loses for the third time, he should be careful not to put the blame on any West African country. He should blame his age, health and his very poor communication skills.



Lawrence Appiah-Osei (Protocol)

Public Relations Officer (PRO)

NDC Washington Metro Branch

Appiah65@Hotmail.com