Power-Hungry Akufo-Addo ………..

After Snubbing Him In July

The Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has surprisingly congratulated Donald Trump for his historic win, in the just ended elections in the United States of America (USA), after snubbing an invitation from the same man to attend his endorsement at the Republicans National Convention (RNC) in Cleveland – Ohio, last July.

Nana Akufo-Addo, cleverly tried to bask in the victory of the controversial American President- elect by commending the Republican Party, the sister party of the NPP, and a fellow member of the International Democrat Union (IDU), for maintaining control of the Senate, thereby presenting Mr. Trump a minimum of two years of a “unified” government.

Interestingly, in July this year, in the heat of the American presidential campaign, Nana Addo, had stayed away from the Republicans National Convention in Cleveland – Ohio, because he didn’t want to be to associated with Mr. Trump, who was facing several protest from the African-Americans, American Muslims and Latino communities, including Dominicans, Cubans, Mexicans, Puerto Ricans, Spaniards, among others, over some of his controversial utterances.

Akufo-Addo’s Press Secretary, Eugene Arhin, had on July 19, 2016, issued a statement, saying the NPP 2016 flagbearer, had left Ghana for a visit to the United States and United Kingdom.

Although, the statement did not say the purpose of the unexpected trip by Nana Addo, who at the time, had been touring parts of the country, as part of his campaign to be elected president on his third attempt,

The Herald’s impeccable sources in both America and Ghana, and within the NPP, have told the paper, Nana Addo’s Monday July 18, departure from Ghana on a 10-day trip, was at the invitation of Donald John Trump.

The invitation was for the NPP Presidential Candidate to attend the Republicans Convention in Ohio, but although Nana Addo, was in the US, after going through visa and other immigration formalities at the American Embassy in Accra on Mr. Trump’s invitation, did not show up at the convention, which took place from July 18, and ended on July 21, but only sent an emissary by name, Charles Owiredu, the party’s Director of International Affairs.

Interestingly, Mr. Owiredu, who had spent the NPP’s cash on the trip, did not do anything significant, but spent the time taking photographs of himself and officials of the Republican Party.

The NPP, has a shared doctrine, the elephant symbol and red, blue and white colours of the Republican Party, whilst the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), has been linked to the Democratic Party.

It was clear in July, that the NPP flagbearer, did not want to have anything to do with the Republican candidate, Donald Trump, especially although both of them had been preaching and promising change in their respective countries, calling their respective presidents; John Dramani Mahama and Barack Obama, failures.

Political watchers and other pundits, had projected Americans to vote for the experienced Mrs. Clinton, who was once an aide worker, former First Lady, a Senator and a Secretary of State in the first Obama administration, and Nana Addo, knowing the influence the American elections had on the Ghanaian one, clearly distanced himself from Mr. Trump, who ahead of the American election, was described as belligerent, anti-black, anti-Islam, anti-Mexico, among others.

After shunning Mr. Trump and the Republican Convention, Nana Addo, this paper gathered, went into hiding in his hotel, but with occasional meeting with NPP supporters to interact with them.

Unlike his unusual love for the likes of Nigeria’s Mohammed Buhari and Ivory Coast’s Allasani Qattara, the 72-year old Nana Addo, has managed to shy away from Mr. Trump, 70, despite their respective calls for change in the leadership style of their respective countries.

Interestingly, Nana Addo and the NPP, who hailed the election of Nigerian President Buhari, as signifying their expected change in Ghana, has been keeping away from Nigeria’s Buhari in recent times, following a recession in the Nigerian economy. This means, he is only interested in the success, not challenges and how to solve them.

Back to the American election, not even on a single instance, has Nana Addo or the NPP, mentioned Mr. Trump, who had said “Change in leadership is required to produce a change in outcomes”.

But Nana Akufo-Addo on Wednesday, in a statement signed and issued in Accra, said the result of the election, which had resulted in a change in government after eight years of the Obama-led Democratic government, had strengthened even further the status of the United States of America, as a bastion of democracy in the modern world.

The statement expressed Akufo-Addo’s sincere hope that President-elect Trump’s tenure of office, would be marked by the economic empowerment of the American people, as well as the delivery of unity, security, progress and prosperity to all Americans.

He further expressed his overriding hope that Ghanaian-American relations, will grow from strength to strength under his Presidency, which has, over the years, been based on a shared agenda of freedom, development, progress and prosperity.

Akufo-Addo, invoked God’s blessing on Trump and the people of the United States of America and best wishes for him and the country’s continued success.

He also applauded Trump’s competitor, Secretary Hillary Clinton, for graciously conceding defeat.