Oh Allan... why have thou forsaken me

The above should be the question on the lips of Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, the ruling NPP’s Presidential Candidate following the nerve wrecking news that his closest challenger [arguably he is also more charming and admired by non-NPP voters than Nana] John Allan Kyeremanteng has resigned from the party.

Forget what the likes Dr. Nyaho Nyaho Tamakloe will say, Allan resigning from the NPP is a big blow. It will not lead to spiral resignations from his supporters or cronies necessarily, but that act will definitely not bring the NPP more votes than they will usually garner. The Allan resignation means a lot more people especially the undecided voters and others whose conclusions of the current on-goings will be negative to the NPP will surely not vote for the party.

From my little corner and my telephone chats with people who matter and the reactions I have heard on the radio [gee... I have not listened to radio this much in a long time. Spent the whole of Friday morning updating myself on the Allan issue, hence the decision to scrap my original write-up for Allan] I realised that while some have been straight to admit that the news was a shocker, others decided to adopt the ‘go it positive’ style by rubbishing the decision and warning him that his political career is finished.

That can also be true, especially when he makes the mistake of attempting an Independent Presidential Candidacy or running to the fold of the Kumasi-based RPD. The lessons of Goosie Tanoh (Reform!), Dr. Yves Wereko Brobbey (UGM) and I dare say Dr. Obed Asamoah’s DFP are there to guide him.

For a stalwart like Allan to decide after careful thought, unless he did not really consider it, to resign, not his position but membership of a political party, then the issues are really very serious to warrant such a reaction. So far we have heard about complaints of intimidation and harassment of persons who supported him in the NPP presidential race. Critics are however quick to point out that other key supporters of his are enjoying free rides in their constituencies. Names that have been mentioned include Joe Ghartey- the Attorney General, Stephen Asamoah Boateng- Tourism Minister among others. Or is it the case that the few who are having problems matter more to him than the larger group who have ‘found favour’ with the Akuffo Addo team?

The resignation letter aside, I suspect there are more issues. At least one of his aides, Kuuku Welsing Jones who edits the New Vision, rumoured to be owned by John Allan K has gone beyond the letter to indicate that enough is enough. In addition to the issue of intimidation, Kuuku stated for example on JoyFM and CitiFM that Nana Akuffo Addo stated somewhere, he did not corroborate, that it is now time for the Akyems. For him, that was an issue, and what he has done is to put voice, face and name to issues that are normally talked about at the pubs and drinking joints... that there is an asante/akyem war going on within the party.

At least, I have heard key party sympathisers and ‘apparatchiks’ say this and in those small meetings, they have sent out cautions that things can explode when not managed well. Kuuku’s outbursts has brought it out and actually confirmed that the NPP candidate did make that statement. For some reason, the various interviewers did not put that issue to either Dr. Arthur Kennedy or Mustapha Hamid to explain away and already the few friends I have spoken to today made a point to recall that aspect of the morning’s interviews vividly.

The other issue remembered is the point that some personalities like Gabby Otchere Darko have been putting up postures as though he is already a minister. And Kuuku has a huge problem with that. I mean... Gabby can be annoying sometimes to some, same way some people hate my guts but Gabby, since he burst unto the scene has had the same posture and demeanour he has now. Some body tell me I am wrong. I think that is Gabby for you and that’s how he’s been, so it becomes difficult to believe that anybody will link his demeanour and posture to the fact that he’s already living in the ‘I am a minister’ world.

I have personally had my own with him... I remember my first and only appearance on JoyFM’s Newsfile in a debate over the CNTCI loan which I happily won, sandwiched between Gabby and Kwaku Baako. Gabby gave me the attitude and insulted me on air and we both reacted, then his candidate was not near the new presidential palace. Indeed, around that time he was somewhat in the bad books of some government officials. Therefore the linkage I do not think is strong enough.

What will one say about Dr. Arthur Kennedy as well. Anyway! He’s doing so well talking for Nana Akuffo Addo I wonder why he blew all that cash for just one vote. Have you noticed how both political opponents and his own party folks are quick to remind him that he nailed just a vote? Oh politics.

As for those who are playing the Allan snub down, they are only putting up a public face. It will not take the shine away from Nana Addo or the NPP but it will surely not bring new voters to the party. I am positive that the necessary remedial measures will be considered and implemented.

Just before the news broke on Thursday, I called a very senior member of the party very close to the Castle and wondered what was going on. He obviously wasn’t aware and asked me “he has resigned from which party” to which I said the NPP off course. The big man shouted repeatedly “oh oh oh oh oh oh! we were praying against this”, adding hurriedly that he will call me back.

That reaction should just tell you that if for nothing at all, the negative press is not good for Nana Addo and the reasons been put forward are even more deadly for him. Allan K has clearly rejected Nana Addo, and also helping trumpet the view that Nana Addo is vindictive and supervising strong arm tactics to hit at opponents. That is not to say the allegations are really true. But especially in these times when the NDC has put forward a smooth and friendly face, with expected soaring of the party’s image by the choice of John D. Mahama, developments like this cannot be good news for the NPP.

The major beneficiaries here, and that depends on how they also package themselves and promote their mew image, is the NDC. I am not a believer in the views shared by some about the possible chances of CPP’s Dr. Kwesi Ndoum and Dr. Edward Mahama of the PNC. No disrespect to either gentlemen but the 2008 elections is a race between the NDC and NPP. The CPP can hope to improve on its votes and do better than the PNC did in 2000 and 2004, but not one that can indeed even push the elections to a second term. As a student of Ghanaian politics and having analysed things thus far, I am convinced that if the elections will go into a second round it will be as a result of the poor performance of the two leading parties than the voters’ acceptance of the CPP.

I am an admirer of Dr. Ndoum’s campaign and the strategies they are adopting but I think it is a good ground work for 2012, but that will also depend on how the party CPP itself [rather than an overbearing emphasis on the candidate] is packaged, the party and Ndoum sustaining themselves during the 2009-2012 period and the success of their parliamentary candidates in 2008.

Dr. Ndoum has brought a new life to political campaigning and he has ensured that the two biggest parties are also preparing well, and I am expecting a vigorous media & marketing mix in the period leading to the elections. He has been talking a lot about his policies and vision, setting the ground for debates and discussions. But sometimes we must be forthright. All these will help market the Ndoum brand and the CPP for the future especially now that he has finally broken free of the NPP lineage and criticises where necessary other than before. Some of the issues he raises about the NPP are however difficult to decipher, knowing full well that he was in the thick at the time. This makes it easy for his opponents to hit at him.

But Ndoum’s chances somewhat looks brighter than Dr. Edward Mahama of the PNC. It’s good they are talking of a merger, but left alone, the CPP will become the 3rd biggest party in Ghana.

Are there anymore? DPP, RPD, UGM, Reform!, GCPP, URP and the Independent Candidate. And off course the DFP. UGM, I am not sure they are still in the books of the EC, but Reform! surely will not field a candidate. The rest and the Independent candidate we wait to see what they will do.

As for the DFP, they are at pains to prove sceptics wrong and they have scored one mark with the successful congress. The rating of success depends on what you are looking at, but given that they managed to elect a candidate that is sure fine. I heard the effusions of the former Interim national chairman, and I laughed. But is the DFP not an interesting party. Two days to congress and delegates do not know who the candidates for elections are. There is no campaigning or lobbying for votes ahead of the elections and the chairman who I dare say probably does not know more than half of the persons who’ll be gathering in the hall to vote, expected to win.

Obed Asamoah who is the owner of the party and have a case to prove against the NDC would have wished that his party performs better than the NDC in the elections, but even a toddler knows that is not possible. Not with an unknown candidate without any defined qualities and strengths to sell.

He won convincingly though but believe me, if you go back and ask the gentlemen and ladies who gathered in the hall to mention the names of ‘their’ candidate, they will fumble terribly.

As for Alhaji Rahman, he has lost his post as well, but must stay put and see what good will come out of the party. They appear to have a solid financial foundation and hence the oft-repeated warning that no one should underestimate them. But the pick-ups and banners alone will not win an election. You need the personalities and the principles.

Does anybody think Dr. Kwesi Botchwey did not know what he was doing when he ‘swerved’? Forget about whether he is a founding father or not.

For now, the DFP which is opposed to an opposition political party rather than the ruling government has very little to take away from the opposition NDC apart from those who have already left. Already, even those who left have started grumbling. Talk about Alhaji Rahman and Emmanuel Nti Fordjour who was acting Ashanti Regional Chairman but did not know that a regional congress was taking place in his region.

That is politics and when the old horses are involved, you need to watch out. That’s why those playing down Allan’s resignation must tread slowly because he is a big fish and the reasons been offered by his aides can sway undecided voters to a camp they consider probably more welcoming and accommodating.

By Xoese DOGBE [xoese.dogbe@dailyexpressonline.com] for his Editor’s Blog in the dailyEXPRESS Newspaper