Tribalism, arrogance sent Akufo-Addo to political pension

“My verdict, Nana Akufo-Addo is very difficult product to sell…” was how a staunch supporter of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) put his flag bearer’s defeat to John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The latter obtained 50. 70 per cent of the total valid votes cast, whilst the former had 47.74 per cent of the valid votes.

But several other factors also accounted for the defeat of the NPP, apart from its presidential candidate’s flawed personality traits, key amongst them being arrogance, tribal bigotry and the use of foulmouthed, inexperienced communicators.

To the ordinary mind, all was well with the Nana Addo 2012 campaign, but to insiders, things were indeed, very bad.

The party was split between the Akyem bloc and the Ashanti bloc. A fact the NPP refused to accept and work on, but dwelled very much on fracas between Jerry Rawlings and late Professor Mills.

Nana Addo himself was very far away from the party, he listened only to the “Kyebi Mafia”, the clique described in Arthur Kennedy’s book “Chasing The Elephant Into The- The Politics of Complacency” as the overeducated, over-westernized, spoilt and arrogant guys from Kyebi in the Eastern Region, who turn people off in the name of loyalty.

The “Kyebi Mafia” which has personalities like Gaby Asare Otchere-darko, Yaw Amfo Kwakye, an ex-convict, Nana Asante Bediatuo, Ken Ofori Atta, Nana Akomea, Samuel Atta Akyea, were joined by characters such as Kennnedy Agyapong, Frances Asiam, Samuel Awuku, and Samuel Abu Jinapor in addressing people with bad language on political platforms.

For instance, Ursula Owusu, said to be romantically involved with the NPP flag bearer, on a radio discussion downgraded people from the Northern region, saying but for free education most of them should have been rearing cattle in the North.

As if told to do so, a Kumasi based pastor, praying in the presence of ex-President John Kufuor, Nana Addo, Mahamadu Bawumia and other bigwigs of the NPP, made matters worse when he asked everybody including Alhaji Bawumia to say anti-Northern prayers, while calling for good things to come only from the Eastern Region.