NPP fires Kwesi Amakye over Akuffo-Addo claim

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Campaign Manager for the 2012 elections, Mr. Boakye Agyarko has rubbished claims by a Political Science Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Mr. Kwesi Amakye that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo’s age must be considered if the party wants him to be its flagbearer in the 2016 presidential election.

According to him, the university lecturer’s comment was unfortunate since he could have used his knowledge in politics to enlighten the layman rather than to hoodwink.

He questioned whether only the ‘young’ are eligible to govern a nation when reacting to Kwesi Amakye’s comment on Adom FM.

“It is good to have a matured person home. If Nana Addo will be 70 years in 2016, and so what, must a flagbearer be younger before he can rule a nation? Age is nothing, if the person is strong and healthy, why can’t he run for an election?” he quizzed.

According to the political science lecturer, a research he has conducted and the trend across the world indicates that age has become a major factor in choosing a leader.

Mr. Amakye opined that his study specifies that any presidential candidate who has attained 70 years or above is likely to lose an election, thus if Nana Addo falls in that “bracket, so be it”.

“…I don’t even know Nana Addo’s age so we are making general political statements which are not specific. But if he is around 70 by the year 2016, he (Nana Addo) should forget about it. It’s over,” he noted.

Mr. Boakye Agyarko who disagreed with the assertion by the political science lecture named some presidents who are more than 70 years, but yet still steering affairs of their nations.

“Abdoulaye Wade was elected as President of Senegal when he was 79 years, Shimon Peres of Israel was 90 years and he is holding that country together very well. Even South Africa, President Mandela was in his 70’s when elected as president. Presidency is not about age. If Ex-President Kufuor is to run as NPP’s flagbearer again, he will win.

“Mr. Kwesi Amakye should stop this useless argument and non-academic. He should show us his so called study. Nana Addo is stronger than he thinks. Kwesi Amakye should think before he talks,” he said.