Why Do Some Northerners Hate Aliu Mahama?

I received five emails from some readers of my articles who I have never met. All of them emailing from various parts of the world they monitor events about Ghana very effectively. I had a little chat with them and I must say I was amazed at the rate at which they are abreast with happenings in Ghana.
Incidentally they all asked me to tell them why I was making a strong case for his Excellency the former Vice President of Ghana Alhaji Aliu Mahama to be the flag bearer of the NPP for the 2012 elections?
One of them also asked me a question that most people have asked me too; “Do you think Aliu Mahama is interested in leading the NPP in 2012 at all?” The follow up question was “If he is interested, why is he quiet and not talking about it”? A further question was that, why is he not telling the world that, in the face of the current rivalry between Nana Addo and Alan Kyeremanteng he was the very best to unite the NPP for victory in 2012?”
Another question I was asked was “Why do Northerners ready to support southerners and not Aliu who by far is the best politician from the north?”
The comment of one of them was straight “My brother, forget it I am a Southerner, I have read all you have written in support of the candidature of Aliu Mahama for 2012, I tell you Southerners will NEVER allow him to lead the NPP any day”
He went ahead to tell me that, Aliu was a first class humble and gentle man and that, he as a Southerner was prepared to support Aliu to the end if he comes out to express interest in leading the NPP for election 2012.
To those of them who wonders why Aliu is not saying anything as to whether he will present himself to lead the NPP for election 2012, I told them what I have told everybody “If Aliu can win power for the NPP in 2012, it is not a crime and can never be a crime if the NPP as a party makes him the compromise candidate for election 2012 if that will give the party the mandate once again in 2012. After all it is not about who leads the NPP, it is about who has the potential to win power for the NPP in 2012 I added.
In politics there is nothing wrong with going to the “Mountain” if the “mountain” can not come to you but can give you what you want or the much needed Victory.
On why some Northern politicians in NPP in particular do not, and will NEVER support Aliu Mahama’s presidential dreams the answer is simple; they want to be running mates to the Southerners; supporting the candidature of Aliu unofficially seals that dream because the NPP will never be ready any day to have two northerners lead it!
The Northerners in NPP especially those who calls themselves “Veteran” politicians are ready to die for a Southerner to lead the NPP and make them special assistants and aides then they are willing to Support Aliu one of their own to become a Northern President. They are busily pursuing their own personal political ambitions than they are willing to pursue a collective Northern Agenda.
In their desperation to achieve these selfish and greedy ambitions they are usually ready to do anything to tarnish or discredit Aliu Mahama. They manufacture stories, tell wicked lies, and also tag themselves as opinion leaders of the north when in actual fact they can no longer win District Assemble elections in any community in the north!
The very desperate Southerners who also want to achieve some political dreams in turn prey on these gullible Northerners to achieve what they want and abandon them afterwards.
The very best thing a politician wants to hear is to be told “You are the one the people want” “The people say they will turn Ghana upside down if you don’t win” “You are so popular” “You will win one touch”. Most times they are say all these “political sweet nothings” when they are at the Candidate house taking Chelsea tea and some fried meat.
Politicians hate those who will tell them that, “Your opponent is more popular than you” “You will not be accepted by the people” etc. My advice to all politicians is that, they must at times be alarmed if all they are told is marathon praises and talks of an “obvious victory”
My advice to my fellow Northerners is that, Aliu Mahama is the only high profile politician any Northerner can boast of from the north now. At least he is not only just the first Ghanaian to be Veep for eight years but also the only person within the NPP and the North! If you have reasons not to support him or rally behind him to serve as the beacon of hope for the Northerners in NPP and Ghana, then we should not embark on vilification trips just because we can with the advent of plural media.
We must eschew lies aimed at letting one of our own down. Posterity is watching us as Northerners in relation to how we are stabbing one of our own in the back. It is a golden rule; the same Southerners you go to stab your own brothers before them takes notes of you. They will NEVER trust you to be a keeper of faith.
Let us also as Northerners remember that,” if you throw a tennis ball to a wall it will definitely come back to you” So my final advice to all Northerners in and outside NPP is that, stop belittling one of your own. If we can not project Ali Mahama, then we should not as well dare discredit him with at times fabricated reasons which have no basis.
A word to the wise it is said is enough! I almost wrote it is in North hahahaha…
Akilu Sayibu UK
Akilu.sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk