Why Isn’t Nana Addo Campaigning…Age Catching Up On Him?

Ardent supporters of the NPP are becoming jittery about what they describe as uncertainty about their party’s campaign strategy for the 2016 elections. The concern follows what they see as the virtual relegation of flag bearer Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Ado to the back seat while his running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia who is leading the legwork so far is unable to pull the crowd.

Deep throat sources close to Nana Akufo Addo who confided in the Telegraph newspaper maintain Nana Addo is in charge and will soon roll out his plan but some party supporters believe those around the flagbearer are seeking parochial interests and are hiding something from the foot soldiers.

With barely seven months to the polls, the NPP’s campaign team led by former National Chairman, Peter Mac Manu is yet to kick start a vigorous outreach programme to canvass for votes.

Key leaders of the party who are equally disturbed about the development are reluctant to speak publicly for fear of being marginalized.

Aminu, one key party supporter in the Ayawaso North Constituency in Accra lamented……“In 2012, we the NPP began our campaign early. We were leading the game with our Free SHS policy and tackling corruption issues like the Woyome scandal and government was under pressure. Today everything is quiet and the news is full of our internal crisis”

Why? What’s wrong? Have we been cursed? Aminu who fears intimidation if exposed said further.

The comments may pass for an overzealous party supporter but it’s really strange that active Nana Akufo Addo has been on low profile since his re-election as Presidential candidate of the NPP in October 2014 with an overwhelming 94.35percent votes of delegates.

In a brief address, the 72-year old raised the expectation of party foot soldiers. “With the NPP going through this hurdle, it now has to take the trouble to reorganize and mobilize all perceived factions in an effort to bury all infightings before the year 2016”.

The NPP flagbearer has since spent more time at his Nima enclave than hitting the road running. Apart from the ‘Rise and Build Tour” intended to settle differences and bring all hands on deck, it is difficult to pin point any other activity he has led particularly at the grass roots level.

Another worried party supporter, Kweku Sam in the Ablekuma West constituency of Accra wondered why instead of their flagbearer whose face will be on the ballot box to adopt the ‘house to house’ campaign and interact with us he put it suffering Ghanaians, he has limited himself to funerals, church services and press conferences.

Do press conferences win election? How far did issues about the bloated register and recently the ‘True State of the Nation Address take us? Mr Sam queried.

Critics of the party and the flagbearer have labeled Nana Addo as physically unfit and has resorted to foreign trips, Germany and UK particularly after any brief visits to some parts of the country.

Deep throat sources close to the party’s Council of Elders and the Parliamentary caucus say some leading members of the NPP are uncomfortable with the decision to allow Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, the running mate to lead the campaign. Some of them according to the Telegraph’s sources have held their financial support, which has further put a strain on the limited funds available to Dr Bawumia.

There are suspicions that Nana Addo is becoming convinced chances of winning the 2016 elections are becoming slimmer by the day because of the numerous unresolved internal crisis, subtle withdrawal of support by some influential financiers who belong to the Kufuor faction and the likely reduction in votes in the Ashanti Region because of the Akyem-Ashanti rivalry which is heavily influencing NPP politics.

It will be recalled that MP for Assin North, Kennedy Agyapong known for his bluntness descried the NPP as a bogus party on Adom FM’s Badwam, a flagship current affairs programme.

The angry Kennedy Agyepong captured on a video [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0f3DNDd1rh4] described his own party as bogus and accused its leadership of lacking the knowledge to win an election. His beef was about the leakage of minutes of a strategic meeting held in Koforidua last year to the governing party.

Janet Amponsah in the Ledzokuku Krowor constituency, bitter about the suspension of Chairman Paul Afoko and General Secretary Kwabena Agyapong, said Nana Akufo Addo has succeeded in hijacking the NPP but he has three major hurdles to cross to put his campaign team in proper gear to match President John Mahama.

According to Madam Amponsah, the President, besides his likeable personality and numerous infrastructure projects will be exploiting incumbency advantage, how can Nana Addo and his divided party, which is facing difficulty raising funds match him?

She, like several other concerned NPP members, want those handling Nana Akufo Addo to let him out from hibernation. They are demanding that Nana Akufo Adoo begins footwork immediately to discount silent rumours that he is sick and that is being kept away from the public.

They also want the NPP leaders to shelve their egos, burry their differences and work together else they should all hang their gloves, save their money and prepare for 2020. In the face of the current confusion that has rocked the party following primaries held in two constituencies namely Ablekuma West and the Manhyia leading to the resignation of some party executives, one can’t wait to see how the NPP will overcome this difficult hurdle before the 2016 elections.