Akufo-Addo abandons third term bid

Report reaching The Al-Hajj indicates that Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, has finally decided to ‘kiss’ goodbye to his childhood ambition of becoming president of Ghana one day.

Nana Akufo-Addo, currently in the UK taking some time off politics after an agonizing defeat in the recently adjudicated election petition by Ghana’s apex Court, is said to be comfortable and enjoying his newly attained status of a distinguished statesman, an accolade showered on him by renowned Ghanaians, civil society groups and the international community following his matured handling of the outcome of the country’s landmark case which made it possible for Ghana to continue enjoying peace.

Sources close to the former Abuakwa South Member of Parliament and ex-Foreign Affairs Minister under the former President Kufuor regime, narrated how he has been so obsessed in his new elder statesman attire, especially as he will henceforth be in the ranks as former Presidents Rawlings, Kufuor and Kofi Annan and other astute Ghanaians.

Though he is yet to make this announcement public, this paper has gathered that Nana Akufo-Addo’s latest decision has been occasioned by his desire to jealously keep his current status intact by not directly dabbling in active politicking even though he will be operating from behind and calling the shots like the respected NPP’s former Chairman, the late B. J. da Rocha did when he was alive.

This sudden decision by Nana Akufo-Addo, who had received numerous calls from leading party members to once again contest the flag bearership of the party for the third time, according to our sources was what informed his nephew, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko’s decision to make good of his promise of exiting national politics.

Gabby, who until recently was the Executive Director of Danquah Institute, according to the source, recently told a big shot of the party confidentially of his uncle’s decision to bow out of front line politics, hence his (Gabby) decision to also travel abroad to broaden his knowledge and enter academia.

In order not to lose his grips on the party, especially when there is intense scheming to oust the current leadership of the party who are mostly seen as his loyalists, Nana Akufo-Addo is said to be keeping the announcement close to his chest until he returns to the country next month.

Party insiders say his recent call on party folks to go about the forthcoming internal elections cleanly devoid of any rancor was part of his game plans to confound his opponents within the New Patriotic Party.

Nana Akufo-Addo a few weeks ago advised party faithful “I call on all members of the Party to go through these next few months of elections of Party officers in a most dignified manner…

“We must keep it clean and convivial so that we can all get back together, to strategize together, and work together to secure victory together in 2016”.