Opinions of Saturday, 16 August 2014

Columnist: Agyemang, Katakyie Kwame Opoku

Nana vrs. Alan - Who Stands a Better Chance in 2016?

Whilst the Afoko-led NPP leadership is leaving no stone unturned to put the party in a better shape for Elections, it is important for the delegates to consider who among the current aspirants stands a better chance to lead us into victory. This is because, winning national elections in Ghana does not necessarily depend on the economic performance of a particular government. This has been proven over the years by the rejection of NPP in 2008, and the retention of NDC in 2012. There is no doubt that the NPP and NDC have dominated the political scene since the inception of the 4th Republic. Whilst the NDC has won four (4) out of the six (6) national elections held, the NPP has won two (2). For reasons best known to the NPP, every election won by the NDC was a 'rigged' or stolen one. Only the ones won by the NPP could be said to be free and fair. As a result of this, the NPP has failed to accept defeat, and moved ahead to find the causes of such defeats in order put up better strategies to win subsequent elections.

It must be pointed out that, the Ghanaian electorates have shown on countless occasions that, winning elections depends, to a very large extent, on the attributes of the Presidential Candidates of the two dominant political parties. They look at the way the Candidate walks, talks, behaves, and relates to the ordinary people. In this sense, charisma, humility, gentility, calmness, beauty, age, honesty, etc have always come into play.

In 1992, both the NPP and NDC presented two courageous candidates, but admittedly, Rawlings, in spite of his low level of education, had the charisma. He was the toast of many women because of his beauty, and complexion. Not only did he beat Prof. Adu Boahen of NPP, and former president Hilla Limann of PNC with those attributes, but capitalized on them to beat Kufuor in 1996. In Election 2000, the NDC, which was an incumbent government, presented a sitting Vice President as its candidate. However, Kufuor beat him because the voters saw Kufuor as gentle, giant, trustworthy, and more competent. In Election 2008, the NPP presented the most popular, tried and tested candidate in the person of Nana Akufo-Addo as against the NDC's Prof. Mills. The electorates saw Mills as peaceful, calm, humble, respectful, and gentle. They voted for him. In Election 2012, the untimely death of Mills made the NDC present John Mahama as against the NPP's Nana Addo. Here again, the electorates saw Mahama as young, humble, approachable, and handsome and voted for him.

Election 2016 is just around the corner. Some people still think it is a foregone victory for the NPP with the reason that, Mahama has underperformed. They have even forgotten that Mahama is half-way through his 4-year administration and that Ghanaians don't vote based on the economy. The NDC is definitely presenting the same John Mahama, this time around as an incumbent president. He can use money to influence any voter in this country. As the records show, no defeated candidate has come back to defeat an incumbent president in his 2nd attempt. Rawlings beat both Adu Boahen and Kufuor in 1992 and 1996 respectively; Kufuor beat Mills twice in 2000 and 2004; Mahama beat Nana Addo in 2012, and will beat him again in 2016, if the NPP gives him the nod.

The NPP delegates should therefore save the party by giving Alan Kyerematen the opportunity this time around to lead the party in 2016. Alan's attributes far outweigh those of John Mahama. His humility, gentility, calmness, charisma, beauty, experience, appeal, wisdom, and exposure to the international community, make John Mahama, a mix- match as far as the 2016 elections are concerned. The NPP needs just one region to win the next elections. Alan, who hails from both Central and Ashanti Regions can maximize the votes in these two regions. Just like former president Kufuor, the people of Volta Region are in love with Alan. It is likely that Alan could garner between 20 and 25% of the total valid votes from Volta.

Alan's posture is an added advantage. His posture, beauty, age, and gentility could attract votes from our women, and youth who are in the majority. Alan is not surrounded with controversies. The NDC cannot tag him with negativities as they did to Akufo-Addo in the last elections. Again, nobody could hold Alan for his utterances, because Alan always offers solutions to problems rather than attacking the government anytime he speaks. He proposed the National Economic Forum for the government and it came to pass. He offered solutions to the depreciation of the currency and high cost of doing business in Ghana. Alan has always talked about adding value to Ghana's agricultural products for more foreign exchange earnings. His campaign message of "Jobs for the People, Cash for the People" is spot on. Alan has a proven track record in both private and public life, and presenting such a Candidate in a national elections is a cause worth-pursing. This is because, Alan meets the criteria for floating voters and those who look at a candidate's track record.

Let's vote for Alan as the next NPP flag-bearer or remain in opposition .

God bless Ghana! God bless the NPP!! God bless Kufuor!!!


Katakyie Kwame Opoku Agyemang, Asante Bekwai-Asakyiri
(Free SHS Ambassador)
Official blog: www.katakyienpp@yahoo.co.uk
0202471070 : 0264931361
"Vision, coupled with persistency, results in true success"