Kufuor under pressure not to attend Mahama's inauguration

Some members of the youth wing of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have vowed to prevent former President John Agyekum Kufuor from attending the inauguration of John Dramani Mahama as President of Ghana on January 7, 2013.

The youth are set to march to the Airport West residence of the former President on Thursday January 3 to articulate their disapproval of Mr. Kufuor's decision to break ranks with the NPP which is boycotting the ceremony.

The office of the former President has indicated that President Kufuor would attend the inauguration because he is a statesman and should therefore rise above political party affairs.

But speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show, Hopeson Adorye, a senior member of the Young Patriots – a group within the NPP youth wing – said “The youth of the party will not allow President Kufuor to attend the inauguration. He will have to drive over us to attend this illegal swearing in.”

He called on “every member of the NPP who loves President Kufuor and the party” to “march to President Kufuor’s house and let him know that we will not allow him to attend this inauguration.”

The National Council of the NPP Wednesday reaffirmed its decision not to accept the results of the December 7 poll and backed the petition filed by Nana Akufo-Addo, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, NPP Presidential candidate, vice presidential candidate and chairman respectively, at the Supreme Court, challenging the validity of the results of the 2012 Presidential Election declared by Electoral Commission Chairman, Dr Afari Gyan on December 9, 2012.

The Council “also decided and directed that the party shall boycott the planned January 7 inauguration ceremony of John Dramani Mahama and Kwesi Amissah Arthur, as President and Vice President of the Republic, respectively. This decision is binding on all members of the NPP, including parliamentarians.”

In a statement the Council said it had taken the decision “in order to underline the critical principle of any democracy that the results of an election should reflect the voice of the majority of voters, not the voice of those who count, collate or declare the results.”

Hopeson Adorye expressed worry about the propaganda spin that would be placed on President Kufuor’s attendance of the inauguration by members of the NDC, saying “The youth of this party are going to protect the image of the former President. We will not allow the NDC to use him for propaganda, to say former President Kufuor has betrayed Nana Akufo-Addo.

“We will not allow him to soil his name with all the allegations of bribery being made against him. If he attends this inauguration, you can imagine the headlines in the NDC papers a day after,” he stated.