A Run For Nana's Money?

by SK Dogbe

In his victory speech at the 2007 Congress in Legon, Nana Akufo Addo congratulated Alan Kyerematen for giving him a run for his money. Right there in that same speech he also formulated a succession plan of sort. That Allan will come after him as leader of the party.

Today, instead of moving forward, events have turned a full circle and both Nana and Alan are slugging it out again. This time, it is not simply a run for Nana’s money, so to speak. There is much more at stake now than just winning an internal contest. Fast tracking Ghana’s prosperity, NPP’s unity, and Nana’s own political career are all at stake. In fact, Nana Addo must first speak to these challenges before contemplating winning yet another internal contest to become President.

NPP is entirely united on the fact that the first and foremost thing to do is to win power and get out of opposition and that means winning the Presidential contest in 2012. In other words, on August 7 our most distinguished delegates must make the informed choice of electing the right Flagbearer who is most capable of winning power for us in 2012.

Think about it. Who is the most popular candidate among floating voters in Ghana today? Who has the most popular support that cuts across the political divide? Which candidate appeals most to the youth and to women? Which candidate has the best message that can sell best? All other things being equal, it is obvious that the 2012 Presidential contest (including winning Parliamentary majority) will be a test of popularity of party and candidate, about favorable opinions of party and candidate, and the capacity to organize effectively.

Consider. In the 2007 Flagbearer race, Nana Addo was the man to beat. He was the frontrunner who was way ahead of the pack. Yet a more determined and better organized Alan Kyerematen broke out of the pack in a hot chase and almost overwhelmed Nana Addo. Alan K. could have easily won the runoff and gone ahead to win the Presidential race for NPP had he not made the supreme sacrifice to allow his senior brother Nana Addo to go as the Flagbearer for the sake of party unity. In the 2008 general elections Nana Addo was the de facto incumbent who was ahead in the polls; yet his declared Presidential results stood at only 49% against Atta Mills’s 47. In the Presidential runoff, however, Atta Mills cancelled his deficit with Nana Addo and shot past 50% to win. Nana Addo still remained at 49%.

These are facts; not fantasy. They demonstrate a subtle pattern of a bad finisher who took too many things for granted. Can he change? Perhaps not so easily; but certainly not at the expense of the future of the teeming youth.

Again, some comparisons with former President Kufuor are neither here nor there. Yes, he first lost the Presidential contest on first attempt in 1996 and later won power for NPP on second attempt in 2000; but he never lost a hard-won power. Neither did he allow any contestant to come from behind to overtake him. On the contrary, Nana Addo lost power for NPP. He took us to opposition. He dropped NPP popular votes in general elections from 53% to 49% instead of building on our winning record. In politics as in warfare, it is extremely rare to expect a defeated candidate who takes a party from power to opposition to lead that same party back to power at the very next contest.

In fact, Nana Addo’s defeat in 2008 that painfully sends NPP to opposition also cancels out his so-called succession plan in 2007. The verdict is now out there.

On 7 August 2010, in a mini general election, NPP delegates must choose who is best qualified to win power for us in 2012. They know that after exercising this precious mandate they will go ahead and be at the forefront of the 2012 general elections as originally planned in our constitution. As Area Coordinators and Polling Station Executives under a capable Flagbearer they will be waging a most effective grassroots campaign for more industries, for more jobs and for accelerated prosperity never before experienced in Ghana. Alan Kyerematen must be the Flagbearer to lead this grassroots campaign to win power for NPP in 2012.

This time, it’s not a run for Nana’s money anymore. On August 7, even delegates who love Nana Addo must consider voting for Alan Kyerematen. In so doing they will be saving Nana’s political career, when he would be better off becoming a most illustrious Statesman under Alan Kyerematen’s presidency.