Speculations in sections of the media tend to favour a perceived Nana/Alan ticket for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for election 2012. Even though it is not yet known if either of them would win to lead the party in the first place! Though, I personally have not taken it serious and realistic I still nonetheless think there is the urgent need for me to also join the “speculations” train in my case with some facts!

Firstly, two things could have sparked this mysterious rumours; either such a ticket for 2012 is the wish of the office of Nana Addo or the campaign office of Alan K. it is an outmoded propaganda theory which was used in the 12th century and I wonder why anybody thinks it is still practical in this 21st century! It is an idea that is dead on arrival! And I wonder where such an idea came from in the first place. If the NPP should attempt such a thing I can bet with my head that, another book would be written again after 2012. Maybe that book would be titled: “Chasing an all southern ticket to the Kwahu Mountains”.

The NPP is already bedevilled with perceptions that, it is an Akan party. Any body is entitled to his or her funny reason why that perception is false. All I know is that, such a perception is true in totality and the NPP as a party is spending more time downplaying that reality than it is doing to dispel such a negative view to me in vain.

May I state that, not only will an Alan/Nana ticket diminish the NPP fortunes in election 2012, but also any ticket that the NPP would present for election 2012 that would preclude the north would spell disaster for the Party especially so as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) the ruling party that will want to retain party would use it against the NPP. Let us not forget that, the NPP is not a southern party it is expected to be a national party and must therefore embark on programmes and activities that will give it a national outlook and not an idea that will let the question “Didn’t I tell you the NPP is an Akan party?” be asked.

I personally think that, because the name of the tradition of the NPP is Danquah/Busia tradition that is why the perception of it being an all southern party is spreading so fast, and has failed to die off all these years. The role the north played in the life of the NPP is there for all to see. At least any student of politics knows the sacrifices and commitments that the Dombo’s, The Jatoe Kaleo’s and the Tolon Naa’s played in the party. And at certain point these persons had to compromise and allowed the Busia’s to lead the party even when it was clear that, they had done all what was expected to lead the party instead of those people.

They did not take entrenched positions, they compromised so that, the NPP would survive. At least they did not insist that, because of what they had brought onto the party those days they should the one’s to lead it by all means! These is what the party need badly now. Not ingrained positions and insistence to be presidents by all means. At times I always wonder to my self why the NPP tradition was named Danquah/Busia and not say Danquah, Dombo, Busia tradition. Can somebody honestly tell readers why this was not done even though the North just like the south “died” too for the NPP right from its days as United Party (UP) to United Gold-Coast Convention (UGCC) and to the NPP?

If the idea was not to create the impression that, the NPP is a southern party and to consolidate that view, why was the tradition named so? While waiting for answers to these questions I did like to suggest that, in other to demystify the notion that, the NPP is an Akan or Southern party; steps must be put in place to achieve this. The best way to drive this perception away is not by pairing Nana/Alan for election 2012 but rather incorporating other ethnic tribes in key positions of the party.

For me the first step to achieve this is to rename the tradition from Danquah/Busia to Danquah, Busia, and Dombo tradition. I am even of the view that, an emergency meeting of the party should be called to do this before election 2012. When this is done a giant step would have been taken to dispel that southern monster notion away from the party and let the north feel part of the NPP without been seen of only been used to win elections!

I have always said, and I repeat that, it is not in the interest of the NPP to enter election 2012 with a presidential candidate being a southerner, vice presidential candidate a southerner, and core officers of the National executives also southerners. If this unfortunate scenario is allowed to take place what face will the NPP present to the electorate in 2012?.

It is not possible for the NPP to win elections in Ghana with just Ashanti and Eastern regions. It can never be possible. Let those who harbours such a dwarfs dream wake up quickly from their sleep. It can never be achieved. If the NPP were to be a listening party I would have suggested that, Nana Addo and Alan must just be asked to shield their presidential ambitions for now in the name of party unity and victory in 2012. So that neutral candidates would have been presented for election 2012.The division that got into the party in 2007 would continue and even get much worse after the NPP elects its presidential candidate for 2012.

The only way that, division can be curtailed is for the elders of the party to go into action. They should not pretend that all is well. Nothing is well in the NPP for now! It is like the party is only postponing its troubles. It is in the interest of the party to act now. The elders of the party must talk the hard talk now so that posterity would judge them one day.

Let me make a certain statement and it must be put on record. Nana Addo will win any NPP primaries to elect its presidential candidate any day. But As to whether Ghanaians would vote for him in a presidential elections is another thing. For now who leads the NPP is not what should matter. What should matter should be who Ghanaians will accept in a Ghanaian election not an NPP primary! I have spoken to lots of people and I can say that, Ghanaians will be happy to vote for the former vice President of Ghana Alhaji Aliu in a Ghanaian election than they will for Alan or Nana. The question to ask, Is it who leads you to victory in 2012 or who can pay much money to win as a presidential candidate of the NPP?

It is an open secret that, the various delegates who are being elected both at the constituencies and regional levels to intend elect the presidential candidate of the NPP are been sponsored by those with presidential ambitions to win their positions so that, they can intend vote for them.

Some of the officers elected, even if they were not sponsored are competent enough to lead the party at the constituencies and regional levels. However there are some who for countless reasons shouldn’t have been elected into any position within the party at all! They failed to bring anything to the party in the last elections yet they are the same persons in some cases who have bought their ways into the very same positions that they could not perform in the first place.

If I were to advise all the presidential aspirants who are busily spending money in all directions to win delegates to vote for them as presidential candidate(s)I would have reminded them that, their leading the party was not necessary but an NPP victory in 2012 should be of outmost interest to the party. What use will it be to the party if unattractive executives are sponsored to be elected to occupy constituencies and regional offices just with the sole aim of coming to Accra to vote for their respective candidates who sponsored them in the first place and be unable to organise votes for the NPP to bring it to power after their candidate(s) is voted to lead the party in 2012?

These in my view should be things the NPP must work against and stop wasting its time on suggestions as Alan/Nana or an all Southern ticket for election 2012. If the NPP wants to read its obituary before its death in 2012 then they should try it.

Akilu Sayibu, UK

Akilu.Sayibu@live.uwe.ac.uk