Group petitions IDU for Nana Addo to step down

A former Communications Officer to the former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party Jake Obestebi-Lamptey has petitioned the International Democrat Union (IDU) for the flagbearer of the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to step down and resign with immediate effect.

Daniel Baah Acheamfuor, who is also the convener of the ‘SAVE NPP Now’ youth group in a petition to the IDU said Nana Addo’s resignation would foster peace, cohesion and unity in the NPP ahead of the 2016 general elections.

The statement added that the “clandestine move to suspend the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party is only a culmination of months of well-coordinated verbal, emotional, psychological and physical abuse including life-threatening manoeuvres intended to side-line the National Chairman as a result of the palpable dislike, contempt and hatred for people of the Northern part of Ghana which the flagbearer has exhibited towards the National Chairman who is a Northerner by tribe through his assigns and loyalists.”

Below is the full statement by Baah Acheamfour

PETITION TO THE INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRAT UNION (IDU) FOR NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO TO STEP DOWN AS FLAG BEARER OF THE NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP) IN GHANA.

The SAVE NPP NOW! is a voluntary group of loyalists, supporters, Polling Station Executives, Constituency Executives, Regional Executives and grass root members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Republic of Ghana. The group solely exists to serve as a voluntary vigilante assemblage of hard core and die-hard members of the New Patriotic Party to help the party win elections through constant advocacy, research and defence of the traditions and records of the party in the Ghanaian and international media or any other appropriate forum.

With reference to the fact that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is a member of the International Democratic Union (IDU), I have been mandated by the members of SAVE NPP NOW! to humbly bring to your urgent attention, the recent disturbing happenings in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ghana, and petition your good office to impress upon the current flagbearer of the party, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to step down and resign from his position, in order to foster peace, cohesion and unity ahead of the 2016 general elections in Ghana.

It may have come to your attention that the duly elected National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ghana, Hon. Paul Awentami Afoko, has been illegally suspended from his position indefinitely. I wish to inform you that this clandestine move to suspend the National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party is only a culmination of months of well-coordinated verbal, emotional, psychological and physical abuse including life-threatening manoeuvres intended to side-line the National Chairman as a result of the palpable dislike, contempt and hatred for people of the Northern part of Ghana which the flagbearer has exhibited towards the National Chairman who is a Northerner by tribe through his assigns and loyalists.

It may interest you to know that Hon. Paul Afoko has been a target of vilification, character assassination and death threats ever since he was elected as National Chairman of the party last year. In all these attempts to undermine his authority, the perpetrators have either been loyalists of the flagbearer or his supporters.

However, in a rather classic display of incompetent and vindictive leadership, the flagbearer never for once called his supporters to order. If there has been any intervention at all, the continuous siege to which the National Chairman was subjected had grown in monumental proportions until it eventually culminated in his so-called indefinite suspension.

Sir, I recently had cause to petition the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Ghana Police Service over alleged siphoning of party funds into illegal and unauthorized bank accounts by the National Treasurer and 1st National Vice Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) allegedly masterminded by the flagbearer, which on countless occasions our flagbearer has refused to comment.

Subsequently, Mr. Paul Afoko instituted internal party investigations into the matter and made some harmless public comments on the same issue. It will interest you to know that the National Council of Elders of the party through the instigations of the flagbearere Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, wrote a petition to the Disciplinary Committee, to demand amongst other things that, the National Chairman, Mr. Paul Afoko, be made to step aside until after the 2016 elections which goes contrary to the party’s constituetion. Interestingly, the National Council cited the public comments of Mr. Paul Afoko on an alleged criminal conduct of two National Officers with respect to illegal use of party funds as one of the reasons for their petition.

In the course of working on the said petition by the National Disciplinary Committee, the National General Secretary drew the Committee’s attention to the fact that the petition was not properly laid before the party as stipulated in the party’s Constitution. The lawyers of the National Chairman also raised a few preliminary objections to the petition. In such matters, one would have thought that the Disciplinary Committee would exhaust the process of ensuring that the petition was properly filed in the records of the General Secretary as well as ruling on the preliminary objections as raised by the lawyers of the National Chairman.

All these proper and legal matters were overlooked and the Disciplinary Committee recommended that the National Chairman be suspended. The National Executive Committee of the party quickly organized another illegal and unconstitutional meeting to uphold the already illegal decision of the Disciplinary Committee.

Sir, as a confirmation of the fact that the flagbearer had always been scheming and plotting to side-line or remove the National Chairman, he issued a statement in support of the decision of the National Executive Committee to suspend the National Chairman indefinitely and urged all loyal party members to accept the decision.

Needless to say that the alleged misconduct of the National Chairman does not warrant such a sanction, a more matured and unifying flagbearer would have intervened for a reversal of this illegal decision for the sake of unity and peace.

The New Patriotic Party has faced many avoidable challenges in recent years under the watch of the flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. It is an undeniable and incontestable fact that the electoral fortunes of the New Patriotic Party have continuously dwindled since 2008 when Nana Akufo-Addo became the flagbearer. Before the 2008 elections in Ghana, the party was in government with a majority in Parliament.

However, after the 2008 elections, the party went into opposition with a minority in Parliament. The party even performed poorer in the 2012 Presidential elections in terms of the percentage of votes obtained by the flagbearer.

The continuous notoriety and disrepute which has engulfed the party since 2008 is as a result of the intransigent, recklessness and intolerance of the flagbearer. Prior to the 2012 elections, the flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo was widely reported to have made dangerous tribal, ethnocentric and belligerent comments which made the party quite unattractive.

All efforts to get him to apologize, retract and make amends before the elections failed and the Ghanaian electorates punished the party severely at the polls. With the benefit of hindsight, the flagbearer recently apologised for those comments and expressed remorse, stating that when given the opportunity, he will never utter such unpleasant words.

Sir, despite all his shortcomings and with the view that he will turn a new leaf, the party still voted for him overwhelmingly as its Presidential Candidate for the 2016 elections. It will amaze you to know that ever since he was elected as the flagbearer, he has continuously targeted the National Chairman Hon. Paul Afoko, the General Secretary Mr. Kwabena Agyapong and some party faithful perceived to be supporters of our former President John Agyekum Kuffuor who is a party member and represents as the father of the party.

This resulted in a lot abuse of the Chairman’s constitutional rights. Yet, in all these provocations, the National Chairman has sought the path of peace and cohesion. There is no iota of doubt that, Mr. Akufo-Addo’s continuous leadership of the New Patriotic Party is a threat to the peace, cohesion and unity of the party in particular and Ghana at large.

It is very unfortunate that the NPP which was once respected, attractive and welcoming to Ghanaians of all shades of tribe and origin, has now been reduced to a perceived one-sided tribal political party through the flagbearer’s uncontrolled desire to hold on to power and influence in the party.

Sir, there is credible information to the effect that the National General Secretary of the Party, Hon. Kwabena Agyapong who has also been a victim of several attacks and abuses by Mr.

Akufo-Addo’s supporters, has also been targeted for expulsion from the party. I honestly fear that there is an apparent and real impending implosion in the party if this wanton disrespect, disregard and hatred which the flagbearer exhibits towards some National Officers of the party is not halted immediately.

Another factor which has given me and a lot of people in Ghana concern is the emergence of a pro-violent tradition in the New Patriotic Party through the unorthodox activities of the flagbearer’s armed private paramilitary group called the “invincible forces”. The members of this force operate from the residence of the flagbearer. They have visited mayhem, intimidations and sometimes blatant and life threatening assaults on innocent members of the party who are perceived as not loyal to the flagbearer.

I can speak on authority from personal knowledge on the brutalities of this force since I have been a victim of their intimidations, harassments, threats and near-fatal attacks.

Recently, the “invincible forces” besieged the National Headquarters of the party for several days and prevented the National Chairman and the General Secretary of the party from going into their offices to perform their constitutionally mandated duties. Worse of all, they violently broke into the General Secretary’s office and destroyed office machinery and gadgets. This kind of violent posture which Nana Akufo-Addo has introduced into the New Patriotic Party, is alien to the principles, ideology and traditions of the party. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, through the coercive powers of his “invincible forces”, has bullied and cowed every dissenting voice in the party into submission.

It is obvious that the NPP no longer looks attractive to Ghanaian voters as a result of the undesirable character traits of the flagbearer. The actions and inactions of the flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo, has created a lot of disaffection, panic, disregard, disfavour and contempt for the party throughout the media leading to considerable acrimony both within and outside the party nationally and internationally; thus undermining further the party’s preparations towards winning the 2016 general elections.

The New Patriotic Party has reached a dangerous crossroad which demands definitive action to be taken immediately to bring all such misconducts and infractions to an end.

Hence, I deem it as a sacred duty to proffer solutions to redeem the party from this quagmire, chaos and abyss. By this petition, I implore your good office to impress upon Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to immediately do the following: Resign as flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party with immediate effect and pave way for the election of a new unifying, tolerant and peace-loving flagbearer who will be appealing to Ghanaian voters in 2016.

Render an unqualified and unconditional apology to the members and supports of the NPP and publicly show remorse for leading the party into such chaotic circumstances with abysmal electoral results.

Pledge to promote discipline, order, harmony and progress in the party towards the 2016 polls, by publicly rebuking his supporters who verbally abuse and physically assault other members of the party who hold dissenting views.

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Ghana believes in the principles that democratic societies provide individuals with the best conditions for political liberty, personal freedom, equality of opportunity and economic development under the rule of law; and therefore being committed to advancing the social and political values on which democratic societies are founded, including the basic personal freedoms and human rights, as defined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; in particular, the right of free speech, organization, assembly and non-violent dissent; the right to free elections and the freedom to organize effective parliamentary opposition to government; the right to a free and independent media; the right to religious belief; equality before the law; and individual opportunity and prosperity.

However, on a rather sad note, such glorious principles are currently facing a monumental threat in Ghana through the undesirable actions and attitudes of the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Akufo-Addo. I earnestly hope that this petition will receive your kindest attention and a speedy response in order to SAVE NPP NOW and prepare the party to win elections in Ghana come 2016. Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

DANIEL BAAH ACHEAMFOUR

Former Communications Officer to the former National Chairman-Jake Obestebi-Lamptey and Director of Communications and Convenor, SAVE NPP NOW!

Accra

CC: RT. HON. EIRIK MOEN SECRETARY-GENERAL INTERNATIONAL DEMOCRAT UNION OSLO, NORWAY

THE CHAIRMAN, DEMOCRAT UNION OF AFRICA THE COUNTRY REPRESENTATIVE TO GHANA UNITED NATIONS (UN) ACCRA, GHANA

ALL EMBASSIES, HIGH COMMISSIONS AND CONSULARS ACCRA, GHANA

THE CHAIRMAN / LEADER CONSERVATIVE PARTY, UNITED KINDOM (UK) THE CHAIRMAN / LEADER

REPUBLICAN PARTY, UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (USA) THE CHAIRMAN / LEADER

CONSERVATIVE PARTY OF CANADA THE CHAIRMAN / LEADER

CONSERVATIVE PEOPLE'S PARTY, DENMARK THE CHAIRMAN / LEADER

THE REPUBLICANS PARTY, FRANCE THE CHAIRMAN / LEADER

CHRISTIAN DEMOCRATIC UNION, GERMANY THE CHAIRMAN / LEADER

NATIONAL PARTY, NEW ZEALAND THE CHAIRMAN / LEADER

UNION OF RIGHT FORCES MOVEMENT, RUSSIA THE CHAIRMAN / LEADER

DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF CÔTE D'IVOIRE – AFRICAN DEMOCRATIC RALLY, IVORY COAST NATIONAL PEACE COUNCIL ACCRA, GHANA

GHANA CATHOLIC BISHOPS’ CONFERENCE ACCRA, GHANA

GHANA CHRISTIAN COUNCIL ACCRA, GHANA

GHANA PEACE COUNCIL ACCRA, GHANA

GHANA PENTECOSTAL COUNCIL ACCRA, GHANA

NATIONAL CHIEF IMAM ACCRA, GHANA

INSTITUTE OF ECONOMIC AFFAIRS (IEA) ACCRA, GHANA

INSTITUTE OF DEMOCRATIC GOVERNANCE (IDEG) ACCRA, GHANA

THE NATIONAL COUNCIL

NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY (NPP) ACCRA, GHANA

THE GENERAL SECRETARY

NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY ACCRA, GHANA

THE NATIONAL SECURITY CORDINATOR ACCRA, GHANA

NANA ADDO DANKWA AKUFO-ADDO ACCRA, GHANA

H.E. JOHN AGYEKUM KUFFUOR FORMER PRESIDENT OF GHANA ACCRA, GHANA