Bankrollers threaten pullout if…

The opposition New Patriotic Party’s resolve to recapture power in the 2016 elections has been dealt a hefty blow following reports financiers of the party have folded their arms, adopting a wait-and-see approach while the party’s structures collapse.

Reports are that the NPP, which staged one of the most expensive campaigns in the history of Ghana whiles in government in 2008, and almost did same in 2012, is now broke to the extent that branch executives through to constituencies are unable to hold meetings as was the case in the past.

The party, which in the heat of the 2008 campaign had the financial muscle to virtually cease all TV and radio stations to broadcast live its campaign and also mobilized almost all the top musicians in the country to compose songs for its 2008 and 2012 flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is now said to have depleted its “financial reserves.”

Financiers whom the party could have depended on are said to have turned into onlookers and instead are “pumping” monies to their preferred flag bearer hopefuls.

Top of the reasons why the party’s bankrollers are no longer interested in channeling monies to the party is Nana Akufo-Addo’s twice wasted opportunities of not been able to win them power even when they had to spend huge sums of money on his campaigns, a source disclosed to The aL-hAJJ..

Though some of the financiers are said to be investing monies in their preferred flag bearer aspirants’ campaigns, they have threatened that if Nana Akufo-Addo is reelected to lead the party for the third time, they will not waste their time investing any “penny” in NPP’s activities.

The biggest opposition party’s financial woes is said to have exacerbated after the Tamale conference which elected business mogul Paul Awetimi Afoko-led national executives.

With the lack of funds threatening the survival of the party, NPP sources told The aL-hAJJ that if urgent measures are not taken to resource the party structures at all levels, the new executives’ promise of returning the party back to power in 2016 could just be mere ‘campaign talks’.

Giving further reasons why NPP financiers are reluctant in releasing money for the smooth running of the party, another party source told this paper that the alleged misappropriation of funds by the Jake Otanka Obetsebi Lampety-led administration is making financiers afraid of releasing monies.

The source stated that because some senior party officials and supporters accused the previous administration of misappropriating funds meant for party activities, the party’s bankrollers are apprehensive in further releasing funds.

Another source reached by this paper disclosed that the NPP’s defeat in the 2008 and 2012 elections and the excruciating defeat in the landmark election petition engineered by Nana Akufo-Addo and two others have made the party unattractive to would-be financiers.

The NPP’s bankrollers, the source said are really feeling the pinch after having to invest heavily into two grueling campaigns and an election petition without desired results.