You are here: HomeNews2008 05 07Article 143495

General News of Wednesday, 7 May 2008

Source: The Sun

Bugri Naabu warns Akufo Addo

Politician, contractor and soccer administrator Mr. Daniel Bugri Naabu has advised NPP presidential aspirant Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to endeavour to make a careful search for a vice presidential candidate, by stopping at the door of an influential and widely-respected Konkomba, Baasare or a Bimoba, if indeed the Party is to sweep maximum northern votes and ascend to power yet again.

Speaking to a team of THE SUN HOUNDS at his office in Accra, the multi-faceted professional bent backwards into history and recollected how these trio of ethnic grouping had descended from a common ancestor, and were ready to exploit their massive numbers throughout the country to propel the NPP to power once more.

Mr. Bugri Naabu informed that he had spoken at length to Nana Addo only a couple of days ago on the issue, and being an opinion leader and a politician with his eyes and ears to the ground, he was only echoing the generality of sentiments in all three regions up-north.

“I do not want to sound ethnic but if indeed the NPP is desirous of winning power, the hierarchy cannot ignore my assertion because I am a conscious opinion leader, and knows the terrain and its current happenings,” he shot across his executive table to THE SUN HOUNDS. According to him, the Kufuor administration has done a yeoman’s job in the three northern regions by creating an enabling environment for peace and free speech, as well as marked pace in development, “and now the onus is on Nana Addo to pick that one excellent candidate with that commanding respect for the vice presidential slot.”

Mr. Bugri Naabu recalled how the grouping had spread their tentacles far and wide throughout the whole country in several spheres of work, and assured that he was under no illusion whatsoever as to their resolve to rally behind Nana Addo and vote en bloc, once a respected one of their own was selected. Determined to state his case so explicitly clear and win over a mass of people with his argument, Mr. Bugri Naabu noted that in 1979 Tolon Na Alhaji Yakubu Tali II from ….. was selected to partner the late Mr. Victor Owusu.

He continued that yet again in 1992 Mr. R.R. Alhassan, a Dagomba was also picked to partner the late Prof. Albert Adu Boahen. Bugri Naabu said in 2000, civil engineer by trade Alhaji Aliu Mahama, yet another Dagomba was selected to partner Mr. J. A. Kufuor, but today the reality is that any respectable Konkomba, Baasare or Bimoba could bring the votes by huge margins to the NPP, “for they far outnumber all those in the three regions,” he added.

“Politics is about numbers and I have told Nana Addo to use a lot of wisdom, patience and maturity in selecting otherwise any wrong pick could break the Party following up-north,” he told THE SUN.

Mr. Bugri Naabu then turned his attention on the grievances of Mr. Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen which led to his resignation from the Party the other day. He opined that there was so much loose talk that seemed to inflame an already sensitive situation, and cautioned all Party loyalists including the top brass to endeavour to restrain themselves from igniting a volatile situation in future, by turning a small fire into an inferno.

“Numbers in politics count so much and if indeed we so crave for power, we ought to do all we can to salvage a potentially dangerous situation and forge ahead in unity,” the politician cum contractor stated. The Sun