Akufo-Addo wins "phantom" award

If blind adulation was the decisive factor to judge presidential hopefuls’ esteem knack to amass majority votes to win an election, then New Patriotic Party’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo would have outperform the Ancient Greek’s Colossus of Rhodes of becoming a world class political giant in the twenty-first century.

Sensing the gradual fading of the thunderous hero-worshiping voices from his appendages in the biggest opposition party since the crushing defeat of his henchmen at the party’s Tamale congress last month, the twice defeated presidential candidate in a desperate move to remain relevant to NPP and Ghanaian politics has turned to a self-glorification scheme.

In a frantic political maneuvering to win back his fast disappearing support within the NPP and to boost his third comeback bid, which is also receiving resistance in international circles, Nana Akufo-Addo in his usual high-ups in cahoots with a dye in the woolN PP media mogul and financier is reported to have accepted a purported award as Ghana’s most influential personality for the year 2013.

The award ceremony, organized by eTV Ghana, owned by an NPP guru, Mr Edward Boteng was attended by almost all relatives and close aides of Nana Akufo-Addo with his twice failed political partner Dr Mahamudu Bawmumia, as usual, present to beef up the scores of NPP kingpins lined-up to celebrate the “self-glorification” event.

Available information suggests that eTV Ghana was established as a partnership between Global Media Alliance and Sabido Group, parent company of eTV South Africa, the largest English-medium in South Africa.
The irony in this is that, the Executive Chairman and Group CEO of Global Media Alliance (owners of eTV Ghana), Mr Edward Boteng was alleged to have finance Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten’s 2007 and 2010 flag bearer bid.
He was also rumored during the novel election petition hearing to be eyeing the National Chairmanship position of the elephant party, but had to shelve his ambition when the campaign hit fever pitch for unknown reasons.
Mr Edward Boateng served in the NPP government as Chairman of the Millennium Development Authority, Ghana and Board Member of the National Communication Authority from 2001 to 2009.
It was not quite clear why his media empire chose Nana Akufo-Addo ahead of Alan Kyeremanten, but NPP sources say there was no way the former Trade, Industry and PSI Minister under the Kufuor government could have beaten Nana Akufo-Addo in any popularity contest in present times, hence the award to the Akyem Septuagenarian.
Party insiders say the award was an orchestration to repackage Nana Akufo-Addo and to loosen him of his belligerent tag.

Nana Akufo-Addo was adjudge ahead of, Chief Imam Sheikh NuhuSharubutu, DrMensahOtabil, Justice William Atuguba, KwesiAppiah, AnasAremeyawAnas, H.E. John DramaniMahama, H.E. John AgyekumKufuor, Dr. MahamuduBawumia, Martin Amidu, Prince Kofi Amoabeng, H.E. Jerry John Rawlings, Rev. Fr. Campbell, Manasseh Azure, OtumfuoOsei Tutu II, Cardinal Turkson, Alan KwadwoKyerematen, Osei Kwame 'Despite', Roland Agambire and Archbishop Nicholas Duncan Williams, as the 2013 most influential personality.
According to the organizers, unlike previous editions of the event when “public voting constituted 100%; the voting system for the 2013 was revised.”
“Public voting was 75%; the online voting was given a 5% voting weight, whilst a specially constituted committee had a 20% voting weight, totaling 100 percent.
The entire voting process according to the organizers was verified, vetted and approved by Pannell Kerr Forster (PKF), an audit firm.”
Many believed the organizers deliberately skewed the award in favor of Nana Akufo-Addo, who becomes the first politician to have won it since it was instituted in 2010 in order to shore up his dwindling popularity.