The new pressure group, Get Alan Kyerematen Elected (GAKE), held its maiden meeting at Rexmar Hotel, Kumasi on last Sunday, May 4, 2014. The meeting was heavily attended, an indication that a lot NPP's delegates have embraced the idea of getting Alan Kyerematen elected as the flag-bearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). Addressing the members, the National Coordinator of GAKE, Katakyie Kwame Opoku Agyemang, hinted that over 250 delegates have so far registered in the Ashanti Region alone. Other regions have also recorded similar numbers.

According to Katakyie, GAKE members will be moving from region to region, constituency to constituency, district to district, and polling station to polling station levels with the view to setting up branches all over the country. It is also the objective of the group to reach out to every single delegate and sell GAKE's message of "one more change" to them without any form of verbal attack on other opponents. It is the group's belief that, come next year when the NPP's Congress is held, the change that took place in the recently held national executive elections in Tamale, will repeat itself in the NPP's flagbearership contest.

Katakyie elaborated that, the Ghanaian voter does not give his/her precious vote out just because one particular party has improved the economy, or another party has been bedevilled with corruption. He argued that, if that was the case, the NPP would have retained power in Election 2008 because of NHIS and free maternal care policy. Similarly, Ghanaians would have voted massively against the NDC in Election 2012 because of the payment of unnecessary judgement debt payments. He debunked the notion of 'sympathy votes' in politics and stated that sympathy votes only existed in vacuum. Katakyie Opoku Agyemang was of the view that, if sympathy actually existed, then all NPP members would have voted for John Mahama and his NDC in Election 2012 because of Prof. Mills' death.

He further explained that, the Ghanaian voter's vote is generally based on three key electoral factors. These, he stated, were political party affiliation, tribal affiliation, and personality traits. Katakyie backed his assertion with the voting pattern in Ghana since the inception of the 1st Republic, where NPP members vote for their presidential candidates and NDC members do a similar thing. He also mentioned that, tribal voting has been synonymous with our elections since time immemorial, and that party affiliation and tribal voting had been entrenched in our current democratic dispensation. Katakyie was of the view that, the third factor, which is personality traits, has been overlooked by his beloved party, the NPP. To him, the NPP members keep denigrating people who cast their votes based on beauty, stature, and posture. NPP members also castigate voters who take GHC5.00 and other stipends from politicians. Katakyie believes that, one of the political mistakes the NPP keeps making is the failure of the party to incorporate these petty things in the party's political activities and strategy. The NPP members still look down upon the voting criteria of the head potters, truck pushers, the poor, and other floating voters, forgetting that, they are the true "Kingmakers" in Ghana because of their numbers. Katakyie was surprised that the NPP was behaving this way as the party is yet give to meet the Ghanaian voters' demand. He disagreed with the hard stance taken by the NPP delegates to impose a political commodity to political consumers who are not ready and willing to have a taste, let alone consume such a commodity.

Katakyie assured the participants that GAKE was born to salvage the situation, and make the NPP a force to reckon with. To him, GAKE has been formed to educate the NPP delegates on the need to change the political commodity which has already expired, if not expiring at age 73. He said, the NPP was not a "one-man" party, but a mass political party that honours her own members occasionally for their hard work. Mr. Amoah, who chaired the function reiterated that the political opportunities have been given to Nana Addo on more than one occasion, but still power eluded the party. Gabriel Osei Kufuor, and Mama Gee were not happy that, majority of Ghanaians were still walloping in poverty and suffering when resources abound in the country. Other speakers also wondered why the NPP of all parties is adamant to try another market to see the difference between the two markets in terms of patronage and profitability. They further advised that, there was a need to respect consumers (voters) by offering them a new product, if the consumers keep rejecting the NPP's precious commodity.

Katakyie strongly advised the NPP to be strategic by studying her political opponent critically as regards what makes their opponent's Prseidential Candidate more attractive than the NPP's Presidential Candidate. At this point, Katakyie pointed out to the participants that, there was one particular man in the NPP whose attributes overshadow those of John Mahama. He mentioned the name Hon. John Alan Kyerematen, (JAK the second). To him, Alan symbolises everything good about human being. He has good looks and charisma. He is tall, gentle, giant, humble, energetic, calm, handsome, and peaceful. Honestly, Alan is cast in the mould of former president Kufuor (JAK the first). And since he is ordained to be the last John for the 4th Republic, Katakyie has no doubt that Alan Cash, as he is affectionally called, would appeal to the floating voters. He made a suggestion that once the Nana-Bawumia ticket (partnership) has been unable to score "political goals" in two matches, it is better for the Coach, in this case the NPP delegates to make changes by partnering Alan and Bawumia or Alan and any other good striker from the Brong-Ahafo Region and leave the battle for The Lord.

The maiden meeting had representatives of GAKE from all the regions in Ghana. Katakyie appealed to all delegates to get involved in selling the message of "one more change for power" and get a new Flagbearer for the NPP, whose main focus will be to win political power for the NPP, and not to send the party into opposition twice and believes in popularity and marketability. Katakyie took the opportunity to educate Ghanaians on Alan's contribution to the NPP and Ghana, especially during political campaigns. He also unravelled the unsubstantiated rumours about Alan's resignation, and the PSI projects.

Katakyie announced that the next meeting of GAKE was scheduled in the Volta Region in two weeks' time. He appealed to all the NPP delegates to observe the change in the NPP National Executives and make the final change in the upcoming NPP Flag-bearship contest to ensure an overwhelming victory in Election 2016. Flag-bearers are mandated to win presidential elections and not to send parties to opposition and turn around to blame others, Katakyie concluded.

GAKE, One more change for power! Signed... National Coordinator

Katakyie Kwame Opoku Agyemang, Asante Bekwai-Asakyiri. Email: katakyienpp@yahoo.co.uk Mobile: 0547851100 : 0264931361 : 0202471070

"Vision, coupled with persistency, results in true success"