By Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.

It would be quixotic to count a quite formidable personality like the main opposition New Patriotic Party's Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen out of the running for the presidential nomination of the NPP. By the same token, it would be equally quixotic for anybody to presume that the two-time fiasco by Nana Akufo-Addo to clinch the presidency automatically makes Mr. Kyerematen the shoo-in candidate for Election 2016, as some of his corner men are claiming (See "Alan Has Learnt From His Previous Mistakes" Peacefmonline.com / Modernghana.com 1/17/14).

In recent weeks, I have suggested that Mr. "Quitman" Kyerematen has a lot of heavy-lifting work to do. Such uphill task is not in any way, whatsoever, insurmountable. But it is not going to happen overnight; not by any stretch of the imagination, at least, if one were to ask yours truly. And so it comes as hardly surprising that Mr. Philip Langdon, an alleged aide to the former Trade and Industry minister, would tell a Radio Gold interviewer that his boss has soberly learned from "the mistakes he made in previous elections, and so would not repeat them as he forges ahead to clinch victory during the party's primaries in March this year."

First of all, Mr Kyerematen needs to open up about precisely what "mistakes" it is that he is talking about. And then he also needs to explain why he so readily fell victim to the mistakes in question; and also what anger-management courses he has taken to enable him to amend his ways and thus credibly put the past behind him, now that he has publicly declared his intention to contest the 2016 NPP presidential primaries. Should he be able to convince his party's supporters and sympathizers in these two preceding areas, Mr. Kyerematen can then begin to register a remarkable impact on the party delegates, that is, the electors who will determine who gets to face off with President John Dramani Mahama two years from now.

Admitting his mistakes, or errors, and convincing his party's membership, supporters and sympathizers that he has, indeed, amended his ways has two benefits. One, it would make Mr. Kyerematen seem like a progressive and mature leader who is not afraid or uncomfortable with levelling up with the people, as it were. This would also enable him to regain a remarkable bit of the confidence and trust that he lost with the party faithful, when he so abruptly and cynically turned his back on their destiny and fortunes in the lead-up to Election 2008.

The second step would entail the runner-up of Election 2007 presidential primary pledging to staunchly back the eventual New Patriotic Party presidential nominee for Election 2016, even in the event of him being rejected by the party delegates once again. What, in essence, I am suggesting here is that the greatest inroad, or achievement, that Mr. Kyerematen can hope for in the lead-up to the 2016 electoral season, is to significantly prepare the gorund for his possible clinching of a presidential nomination victory in 2020. This seems to be the most realistic tack to take at this time.

About the only game changer that could further postpone Mr. Kyerematen's shot at the presidency come 2020, until four years down the pike, or 2024, is in the probable event of a younger and more astute and dynamic personality like Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia being afforded the nomination by party delegates, in lieu of Nana Akufo-Addo. But here, also, it is quite safe to observe that absolutely nothing is set in stone. In other words, in a highly volatile political culture such as Ghana's, one can only be certain of one's political fortunes by the week or the month.

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*Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., Ph.D.
Department of English
Nassau Community College of SUNY
Garden City, New York
Jan. 17, 2014
E-mail: okoampaahoofe@optimum.net
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