…To pair Nana & Alan

THE GENERAL Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia has waded into the controversies surrounding the proposed fusion of the defeated NPP Presidential candidate for the 2008, Nana Akufo Addo and Alan Kyerematen for the 2012 general elections, predicting that the opposition will suffer another humiliating defeat if it goes ahead to implement the plan. General Mosquito, as he is popularly referred to, said the opposition would hand over victory to the ruling party on a silver platter if it decides to pair the two leading personalities in the party for the 2012 elections.

“Let NPP bring Nana Addo and Alan for the next general elections and see if it can even survive round one, their candidature would never fly and they would lose miserably,” he said.

Sharing his thoughts on recent speculations within the camp of his political opponents during an interview with a radio station in Kumasi, General Mosquito noted that history should guide the NPP in the selection of their leaders and flag bearer, if the party really wants to remain competitive.

He said the NPP lost miserably in the 1996 general elections when it decided to enter into alliance with the then leader of the

National Convention Party (NCP), Mr. K.N. Arkaah.

According to him, no alliance within the opposition party would be strong enough to defeat the NDC, stressing that even though the comeback of the NPP would be impossible, as far as the NDC is concerned, the battle would be made easier if the two strong men are paired as candidates for the elections.

“I am not sounding boastful or complacent, but I can assure you that the NPP will lose miserably if Nana Addo and Alan are made candidates for the elections,” he pointed out.

Justifying the reason for his assessment, the NDC General Secretary noted that the two leading members are incompatible and as such would not be able to work together as leaders of the party.

“They are bosses in their own right, so who is going to lead who, he questioned?, and said the party must rather sit down and do an internal assessment to find out what really caused their defeat in 2008.

Mr. Asiedu-Nketia, who is also seeking re-election as the ruling party’s General Secretary, hinted that the party would deal drastically with those found guilty of allegations of vote-buying and bribery during the party’s recent Youth and Women’s Congress held in Sunyani.

He stated that the party would institute internal mechanisms after the National Congress in Tamale on Friday, to investigate series of allegations leveled against certain prominent members of the party, and those found culpable would be severely dealt with. “We would not sweep the matter under the carpet; we shall surely invite those making the allegations to provide concrete evidence, and should they fail to do so, we will drastically deal with them,” General Mosquito warned.

Meanwhile, a number of personalities have been questioned about the viability of the proposed plan to merge Nana Akufo Addo and Alan Kyerematen for the 2012 elections.

The former Member of Parliament for Kwadaso, Mrs. Hilda Josephine Addo has expressed her opposition towards the deal, saying it would not be beneficial to the party.

According to her, the timing for the call was wrong, indicating that the plan would have been useful if it had been implemented in the 2008 elections.

Mrs. Addo also wondered what must have changed now to motivate some people within the party to propound the idea, when it was totally rejected by the same people when it first surfaced in 2008 after the party’s presidential congress.

A Political Science Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Mr. Amakye Boateng also believes the timing was wrong for the plan to be adopted, sharing similar opinion with the former MP that the party missed the opportunity to adopt the idea during the 2008 elections.

Mr. Amakye, whose research in the run up to the selection of a running mate for Nana Akufo Addo, produced Alan Kyerematen as the preferred candidate, said the party must not contemplate on the proposal at this time because it would not be politically prudent. “For me the party must not entertain the idea at this time at all because political situations on the ground are different from what was prevailing in the year 2008 and so the party must totally forget about the proposal because it would never win an election for them.