The NPP since 1992; Kufuor's faction and Election 2016

Since the return of multi party democracy in 1992, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has proven to be the most resilient tradition. The tradition since the first competitive election in the then Gold Coast has been the most vilified political tradition and has suffered from the propaganda of the Nkrumah led Convention People's Party (CPP).

The tradition nevertheless survived all these and succeeded in winning power for the first time in 1969 under the leadership of Prof. K.A.Busia. Unfortunately the military under I.K. Acheampong overthrew it on 13th January, 1972. It stayed in the wilderness till the coming into being the 4th Republican constitution. May I pay a tribute to Prof. Albert Adu Boahen, Mr. Dsane Selby, Dr. Sarfo Adu, Dr. Jones Ofori Atta, Mr. Hackman Owusu Agyeman, Mr. J.H. Mensah, Mr. B.J. da Rocha, Mr. Agyenim Boateng and all the elders who rekindled the spirits of the tradition with the formation of the New Patriotic Party.

The Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition had to wait till 2001 to gain the opportunity again to rule. It is instructive to note that its age long opponent, the CPP has not been able to survive after its overthrow by the Jerry Rawlings led military junta on 31st December, 1981. This is an ample evidence of the strength and fortitude of the tradition. The recent events in the run up to Election 2016 gives so much concern to the members, supporters and sympathizers of the tradition.

It has been said that there are two factions in the current NPP set up- The Kufuor and the Akuffo Addo factions. Indeed Mr. Paul Afoko the suspended Chairman and self acclaimed millionaire echoed this issue and went further to state that he belongs to the Kufuor faction. This really confirmed what has been said all this while by the opponents of the party. viz Ben Ephson, Kwesi Pratt and Alhaji Bature. One interesting issue that has continuo sly been flogged and which some of us never believed was the fact that the so-called Kufuor faction is doing everything possible to scatter the chances of Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo. I did not believe this accusation from 2008 because I know the personality and political maturity of the former President J.A. Kufuor. He is a democrat par excellence and a true party man. I know him extremely well from my university days as one of his coordinators during the 1996 presidential primaries with colleague students such as Andy Appiah Kubi etc.
My belief currently is that the grand scheme being done by the Kufuor faction to derail Nana Addo's chances are real: What caught my attention in the first instance was the fact the so-called Kufuor faction always tout President Kufuor's leadership success in the party and insinuate at the same time that Nana Addo lacks such skills. It is worth noting at this point that Nana Addo was the one who rather made Kufuor's leadership what it was. It was Nana Addo who was the main contender to Kufuor in the 1998 presidential primaries in Sunyani who decided to accept the fact that the latter was elected by a duly constituted congress as the presidential candidate and leader of the party. The same cannot be said of Alan Kyeremanten when Nana Addo was elected the candidate of the party at Legon in 2007. Alan Kyeremanten and his colleagues from the so-called Kufuor faction were always creating one problem or another for Nana Addo and turn around to label him as somebody who is unable to unite the party. Is it not a fact that President Kufuor supported Alan Kyeremanten for election 2008? and could President Kufuor not rein on him to accept Nana Addo's leadership and stop the acrimony? It is inconceivable for the so-called kufuor faction to claim that he has a leadership skills which was the reason why he was able to unite the party. One point which need to be pointed out at this point is that the environment of Election 2000 was such that whichever candidate the NPP had put forward would have won the election. The country was simply tired of President Rawlings and his party. The issue at stake then was that NPP was on its way to winning that election. I dare say that Nana Addo, Malik Alhassan Yakubu, J.H. Mensah, Kofi Konadu Apraku and all the other contestants in the primaries would have won that election for NPP. Nana Addo was on record to have drafted all his contestants at the 2007 primaries in his campaign for election 2008. He again visited each one of them individually in the spirit of team work and co-operation. A wrong impression is being created as though President Kufuor has some leadership skills which won him the election. This assertion is not supported by any empirical evidence. The environment simply was beckoning the party for victory. The party machinery supported President Kufuor despite the propaganda of the then ruling NDC. Unfortunately Nana Addo emerged as a leader at a time when the party was going for a third term which has been proven to be very difficult all over in advanced demcocracies coupled with President Kufuor last minute calculated mistakes. One can recall reduction of fuel prices after a long agitation by Ghanaians, nomination of Prof. J.E.A. Mills the then candidate of the NDC for the highest national award, the issue of Gold chain for President Kufuor, the release of offending drivers who were serving various prison terms for various driving offences.

Again, there is an issue of the Busia stock in the party and thier desire to ensure that no one from the Danquah stock is able to win an election for the party and ultimately succeed. Added to this was the 1979 split of the tradition into the Popular Front Party (PFP) and the United National Convention (UNC) which were led by Hon. Victor Owusu and William Ofori Atta respectively.

Political science students kept on stating that the Busia stock within the tradition which were mainly in the PFP blamed the Danquah faction to have broken ranks with the PFP and founded the UNC which ultimately led to a painful defeat of the tradition to PNP, an offshoot of CPP. Perhaps the Busia stock should be reminded that Nana Addo, a known nephew of Mr. Wiiliam Ofori Atta refused despite a call by his uncle to contest the Abuakwa seat on the ticket of the UNC. Again, did Nana Addo not support J.A.Kufuor for election 2000 and 2004? Is that not a show of good faith and which must be reciprocated at this time? It is a known fact that Dr. Yves Charles Wereko Brobbey, the nephew of Hon. Victor Owusu saw the leadership of Nana Addo as an opportunity to pay him back. Unfortunately, it is a sign of backwardness, Lack of far sightedness, greediness and immaturity. The party must rejoice in the fact that Dr. Yves Charles Wereko Brobbey had publicly denounced the tradition and stated that he rather believed in the ideologies of the far left. So the question was why was he disturbing the forward march of the party with his useless and unintelligent pronouncements on radio, TV and in the print media since 2008? My suggestion is that any time he comes out to denigrate the party or the candidate, the communication team led by the able Nana Akomea should treat him as an opponent and deal with him as such. At least there is an example of how NDC dealt with J.J.Rawlings and his wife prior to their congress in Sunyani. The strategy was to discredit Rawlings and to attack till he realised that his noise was not having any impact on the NDC.
Another issue worth discussing at this point is the issue of the party's administration. Every member of the party especially the so called Kufuor faction know too well that the party is governed by a constitution with laid down structures and grievance procedures. However, when the suspended party chairman, Mr. Paul Afoko was taken through the party's disciplinary procedures after receipt of a petition against him and appropriately suspended by a duly constituted National Council on the recommendation of the National Executive Committee, his supporters in the so-called Kufuor faction had consistently sought to blame Nana Addo. Will former President Kufuor and his so-called faction say in all sincerity that any portion of the party's constitution was breached? Was there a petition by a party member on the conduct of Mr. Paul Afoko? Does anybody doubt the source and authenticity of the petition? Was there a Disciplinary Committee duly constituted by the party? Was Mr. Afoko given an opportunity in accordance with the rules of natural justice and the party's constitution to defend himself? Did the Disciplinary Committee make recommendations for Mr. Afoko's suspension? Was the recommendation of the Disciplinary Committee altered by the Executive Committee and the National Council? In all the committees mentioned above, did Nana Addo chair any of them? Were the committees constituted by Nana Addo? The question therefore is why is the so-called Kufuor faction blaming Nana Addo for a decision of the second highest decision making body of the party? The suspended General Secretary of the party, Mr. Kwabena Agyei Agyapong, another known member of the so-called Kufuor faction was the first person to downplay Mr. Afoko's suspension at the Electoral Commission's forum at the Alisa Hotel when he publicly siad that Mr. Afoko was still the party's chairman and indeed gave him the party's accreditation for the programme. Then followed by Mr. Sammy Crabbe, the suspended second National Vice Chairman who went from one radio station to another denouncing publicly the decision of the organs of the party which he had sworn to defend. He went further to dare the party to suspend him. The party took the appropriate action on the two gentlemen when they were also taken through the appropriate structures. I want few clarifications here. Were the two dealt with by the appropriate organs of the party? Were they given opportunities to defend themselves? Did they avail themselves for the process? Is it not intriguing that the so-called Kufuor faction is trying hard to slam Nana Addo on this? The first to throw the blame "stone" was Mr. Frank Agyekum, the official spokesperson of former President Kufuor. He sought to blame Nana Addo and further indicated that the party risked loosing the 2016 elections due to what he insinuated to be Nana Addo's instigated suspensions. Then came Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, the former chief of staff and Minster of Presidential Affairs. The elderly party member and a member of the Finance Committee was on Starr FM to rubbish Mr. Afoko's suspension. Indeed he followed Mr. Afoko to court in an action instituted by the suspended chairman. Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani subsequently dared the party to suspend him too. One will like to find out from Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani, an elder of the so-called Kufuor faction whether he sincerely believe that the best place for him to correct a supposed "wrong" action was on radio and in public? The next person to enter the fray is Mr. Andrew Awuni, the last known spokesperson for President Kufuor in government. Mr. Andrew Awuni is also a known Kufuor loyalist. This is a person who went for a parliamentary seat in Upper East and lost miserably. Indeed he was making so much noise on radio prior to that election. He was mercilessly trashed and my research even showed that he as a candidate reduced the party's presidential vote in that constituency. Subsequent to that Mr. Andrew Awuni had not actively participated in the party's activities and programmes. He is rather interested in petty gossips and being part of a scheme to run down the party's candidate. Mr. Awuni without any shame was accusing Nana Addo of hijacking the party and by extension making the party's chances very slim. Lest I forget, Can Mr. Andrew Awuni educate me on the reasons why he chickened out of the Universal Merchant Bank case he was pursuing ostensibly in the interest of the Ghanaian worker? Was it at the instance of former President Kufuor? was his legal expense reimbursed and by who? Mr. Andrew Awuni, how is your public policy organisation faring? Does it look like a dead one? What a good manager. Nana Addo as a leader of the party had steered its affairs very well already, and the party is in excellent shape and ready to form the next government. Dr. Richard Anane, the MP for Nyhiaeso, and a close ally of Mr. Alan Kyeremanten also came attacking Nana Addo to the effect that there are problems in the party and that was due to the leadership of the candidate. He cleverly said that he hoped that the issues will be resolved before the election of 2016, when in actual fact he and his so-called Kufuor faction are the real fomenters of the problem. Another of the so-called Kufuor faction who has been a destruction to the forward march of the party is Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe. This is a personality who undoubtedly contributed to the painful defeat of the party in 2008. It will be recalled that one major campaign message of the NDC for the 2008 election was the issue of illicit drug trade and peddling in Ghana. Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe's son was arrested shamefully doing that business and the NDC trumpeted that incident without any response from Dr. Nyaho-Tamakloe. This is a Kufuor loyalist who at the least opportunity attacks the leadership style of Nana Addo. Again, the man was loudly rejected by the Greater Accra region of the party when he went for the regional chairmanship of the NPP. The reason for his miserable loss stemmed from his arrogant posture, leadership style and "zero" contribution to the party. It was also said that when he was made a member of the Regional Campaign Team for Greater Accra in 2008, his contribution led to a huge reduction of the party's votes in the region. Ironically, the so-called Kufuor faction have either not contributed anything to the party since loosing power in 2008 or are conducting themselves in a manner that lends credence to the known suspicion of their desire that Nana Addo will never win power in this country. This piece cannot negate the negative articles being authored by one Mr Mohammed Obosu, a spokesperson of Mr. Alan Kyeremanten from the Central Region. He did a piece to "J.B.Danquah" of blessed memory on the occasion of remembering his death. He accused Nana Addo of all the problems in the party and the fact there is so much intolerance in the party. A clear case of another member of the so-called Kufuor faction.
I have the following questions for former President Kufuor and his so-called faction:

1. Did Nana Addo support his presidential campaign in 2000 and 2004?

2. Did Nana Addo serve him well as a cabinet minister?

3, Does he recall Nana Addo granting a media interview before the party's congress in cape coast that affirmed president kufuor candidature for 2004, and said that he will not contest him (Kufuor)?

4. Is there any provision in the party's constitution that gives the candidate any power to review a decision that is taken by either the Steering and/or Executive Committee or the National Council?

5. Are the serving officers of the party at the national level take instructions from Nana Addo? Were the officers of the party between 2001 and 2009 taking instructions from President Kufuor?

6. Is anybody from the so-called Kufuor faction recently met John Dramani Mahama and discussed with him how to win the 2016 elections?

The writer wants to salute the following personalities for their loyalty and unconditional support to the party in these trying moments:

Dr. Alhaji Mahamudu Bawumia

Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie(Sir John)

Yaw Osaafo Marfo

Sheikh I.C Quaye

Stanley Nii Adjiri Blankson

Jake Obetsebi Lamptey

Ken Ohene Adjapong(MP)

The current steering committee members

All Regional Chairmen

All true and genuine patriots