NPP big shots “hijack” Akufo-Addo’s residence

Speculation is growing over who President-elect Nana Akufo-Addo will appoint to his cabinet.

Additionally, an estimated 5,000 people need to be appointed in order to fill vacancies that will be left by the Mahama administration.

And as expected, former cabinet ministers under the erstwhile Kufuor government and business executives were seen strolling at the Nima residence of Akufo-Addo shortly after he was declared president-elect by the Electoral Commission.

Sources say frantic lobbying has intensified and these former ministers who are primarily seen as belonging to the “old school” class appear to show their readiness to serve the party at the top level once again.

Already, there are reports of lobbyists and special interests groups who have privilege access to the party’s top brass, working desperately to fix their associates in the yet to be named transition team.

Political pundits recognize that lots of unknowns made significant contributions toward the NPP’s campaign and believe those contributions could buy access, and perhaps influence the circles of power, after a successful campaign.

Financial support for political parties and campaigns come mainly from private sources, including large corporations which, according to critics, gain a lot of power over the electoral process and put voters at a disadvantage.

Nana Akufo Addo polled 5,716,020 votes representing 53.85 percent to beat the incumbent President John Dramani Mahama who got 4,713,277 votes representing 44.04 percent of total votes cast.

Total votes casts in the 2016 presidential elections was 10,781, 609.

President–elect Akufo-Addo, in a victory speech asked supporters and sympathisers to be magnanimous in victory and to observe the rule of law.

“I entreat supporters to respect the peace and the property and life of everybody, especially those of our political opponents….we are the party of the rule of law and we should act accordingly with magnanimity in our moment of victory”,” he said to thunderous cheers from supporters.