Akufo-Addo warns NPP delegates

"you have the power, don't compromise it"

One of the favourites for the flagbearership of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo has reminded probable delegates of the party's national congress that the power vested in them by the party constitution to elect the Presidential candidate is of the greatest importance to the democratic process of the party and must not in anyway be compromised.
"Don't play with the power that our party constitution has given to you. You are the ones on the ground; in constant touch with the voters in your poling areas. You know what Ghanaians want.
"You know who you can market with ease and zeal and win. Therefore you must make the decision yourselves,” Nana Akufo-Addo stated during his tour of the 28 constituencies in the Eastern Region.
The tour which ended yesterday in his own constituency, Abuakwa South, brought to an end his tour of all 230 constituencies which began exactly 13 months ago on July 23, 2006 but often frustrated due to national assignments abroad when he was Foreign Minister.
Nana Akufo-Addo, who is expected to announce to the country why he wants to be President in a special evening with the press in Accra on Tuesday August 28, made a forceful argument for the NPP constitution, which grants no automatic right of vote at the congress to the President, Ministers, MPs, National and Regional Officers.
Spreading the message in every constituency he visited, he said it is because of their role as the real foot soldiers of the party, that Polling Station and Constituency Executives were empowered by the Party Constitution to make the selection of a candidate.
“Those of us who lead at the top do not do the door to door, or constantly monitor what the ordinary people say or what they want, it is you the constituency and polling station executives.
"So choose wisely and choose for Ghana," Akufo-Addo stressed passionately to unanimous nod of heads from his audience.
Linking it to concerns about the high number of aspirants likely to file (estimated by The Statesman to be as high as 12), Akufo-Addo assuaged the rank and file by saying the Danquah-Busia tradition has always believed in internal competition.
"From the days of Dr Danquah - the founder of our tradition – our flagbearers have been elected to lead us. He was elected to lead us, not imposed or appointed. We have never imposed our leaders on the party," he stated, drawing a clear distinction between the NPP and some other parties in Ghana’s history. "This party has never been a party of dictators."
"Busia, who returned from exile with his own money for the election and even a name for the party [Progress Party] had to go to congress at Achimota to be elected. Prof Adu Boahen, who was by far the most popular and marketable opposition politician in 1992 was elected after a competitive congress. "The same happened in 1996, when the party opted for John Agyekum Kufuor. In 1998, congress again decided rightly to stick with Kufuor. In 2008, I have absolute confidence in congress continuing with this principled tradition." Within a week of Nana Akufo-Addo’s pronouncement, Yaw Gyekye Amoabeng, the NPP Chairman for the Eastern Region has cautioned delegates who would be elected to attend the NPP national congress this year not to perceive the congress as a "Cocoa Season." He has, therefore, cautioned them against selling their votes to the highest bidder. The Eastern Regional secretariat of the NPP on Wednesday advised will-be-delegates to be resolute, avoid being compromised and maintain the interest of the party and people with them all the way to the ballot box at the University of Ghana, Legon on December 22.
Meanwhile, at Asamankese yesterday, Nana Akufo-Addo returned to touch on the record high number of candidates. He told party executives not to worry since eventually only one person will be chosen to lead the party to victory. "What is important is for us to make the right choice as we have always done and unite behind the eventual winner. All our previous candidates had always been the right choice," Akufo-Addo stated.
Insisting on the need for continued unity in the Party, Nana Akufo-Addo called on the executives to ensure that every candidate for the nomination understood that they are required to follow tradition and custom of the party and support the winning candidate.
"You must let us, the competing aspirants, vow to you to maintain this time immemorial responsibility and tradition to fully endorse and support to the fullest the winning candidate," he stated.