OPINION: Alan Go Ahead! Challenge Nana! But�

In my party�s quest for unity which can never, and should not be allowed to, elude us, a plethora of suggestions are being bandied around. Some think Nana Akufo-Addo should be made the automatic Presidential Candidate for the 2012 general elections.

The champions of this idea, spearheaded by the likes of Mr Yaw Osafo-Maafo and Dr Nyaho Tamakloe, posit that the man who is most feared by the National Democratic Congress is the right person to lead the party to victory in the 2012 elections.

They explicate among other things that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo�s performance in the 2008 elections was impressive even though he could not ascend the nation�s presidency that many believe is waiting for him in 2013. Can anybody challenge the fact that Nana did perform creditably in the election?

Oh yes! Some people are ready for the debate � indeed the debate started long ago and will continue till the contest for the flag-bearership is over and, maybe, after the Kyebi royal has even ended his two-term presidency from 2013 to 2021. Regards to you, Hon Maxwell Kofi Jumah and Nana Asabre.

But one thing is certain! The arguments by the anti-Nana for 2012 group have never been, and will never be, tenable. It is as simple as A B C D! � the man performed impressively under those circumstances, and against the background that it has never been easy, almost impossible, for a ruling party to win a third term mandate from the electorate in the political history of the world. This especially applies to the situation where the party does not go into the contest with the incumbent president, who is patriotic and so would not sacrifice the forward march of the country on the altar of political expediency. That was our story. So, what are anti-Nana champions talking about?

Yes, it has been possible in some few cases, but let�s be sincere and ask ourselves: can the kind of democracy practiced in those countries be compared with ours, where politicians in the NPP are ridiculed by their counterparts in sister countries as saints who are only fit to work as Ministers of God, and not Ministers of States?

Uncle Mac Manu, did I hear you well at the Koforidua Congress? Did you say that because our party could not win a third successive term, your administration failed?

Well, it is true that only repentant souls genuinely confess their sins, especially in public, but I beg to differ.

On the other way round, Uncle Mac, you were right. But in that case you were not making allusion to only yourself. You were alluding to the fact that all of us failed because we did not play effectively the roles we were expected to play in ensuring power retention.

I don�t agree that Uncle Mac failed. But those who agree should also agree to this: Mr Kufuor failed as the sitting president; Nana Akufo-Addo failed as the presidential candidate; Alan Kyerematen failed as the main challenger in the flagbearership contest; Prof Frimpong Boateng also failed as one of the aspirants; Isaac Osei too failed as a parliamentary candidate; all of us failed as NPP members; I also failed as the campaign correspondent.

Another suggestion being bandied around is that Mr Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen should not contest Nana again for the flagbearership. He should wait for his turn, so they say. The proponents of this idea consider Alan�s withdrawal from the contest as a prescription for the party�s unity and subsequent victory in the 2012 general elections.

Well Alan�s withdrawal from the contest could help the effort in search for unity. It will also save the party the Herculean task of organizing the election which will take place in each constituency, including the overseas and in Afram Plains, simultaneously. It will again save the party the task of dealing with the unpreventable spillovers from the contest, which could be costly in terms of physical and financial resources.

Hei! That appears a good idea. Isn�t? But wait a minute! Are the proponents of this idea being fair to the man who also has the ambition to ascend the nation�s presidency on the ticket of the NPP? Why is Nana Akufo-Addo now on top of the contest? Is it not because he challenged former President Kufuor at the famous Sunyani Congress?

Why shouldn�t Alan be allowed to challenge Nana again so that after the former Member of Parliament for Abuakwa South has ended his two-term presidency from 2013 to 2021, he too will have the urge over the likes of Hon Isaac Osei, Prof Frimpong Boateng, Dan Botwe and Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, who this writer would want to impress upon to join the race after the end of Nana Addo�s two-year term.

Why is nobody asking Hon Isaac Osei and Prof Frimpong Boateng not to join the contest? What do you think will happen to Alan�s ambition if he withdraws from the contest while the two, who will definitely be among the men he will have to beat in 2020, contest? You see how we are being unfair to the man. The man simply has an ambition. Let�s allow him to nurse it, water it, tender it, allow it to grow and bear fruits for all those who are destined to enjoy it.

As for those who think our party�s interest will be better served if Alan should be disqualified from the contest, I want you to rethink over the issue daily after you have just finished your morning devotion and meditation. Did the man resign from the party? Yes, he wrote the letter, which later got the media, but was the letter accepted? What did the party leadership tell us at the time? Didn�t all of us accept their verdict? Are we now shifting the goal post? Was it just because we wanted the storm to calm down because of the elections? Please, let�s be sincere.

It is true that no single person can leave the NPP and go with a sizeable number of members that will enable him achieve his ultimate political ambition, and weaken our party, but do we want to go that far? Certainly NO! So why can�t we allow the man some air to breathe? Alan, Go ahead! Go ahead! Challenge Nana! I, Chief Apostle for NPP Unity, have given you the green light. But, a caution, please: help to make sure the contest is decent and characterized by civility and decorum. Are you aware of what will happen to your political ambition if you don�t help Nana to achieve his? Think about it, for a word to a wise is�

Who say Alan is not aware of what the outcome of this year�s flagbearership contest will be? Yes, he has seen it from the events unfolding in the election of party leaders at the various levels of the party. He even saw it after the party had met at the Trade Fair Centre to effect changes in our constitution.

But the man is looking into the future. He has a vision, not for today but tomorrow. After all, age is not fast catching up with him like Nana who may not be in a position to contest again if he allows the golden opportunity he has been presented with to achieve his highest political ambition in the country to slip by this time round.

Let me refer you to the caption of one of my recent articles which has made me a hot cake in our party. Oh yes! God has His own way of rewarding people who commit their whole efforts to a just cause without any recognition. Oh NPP! Why Thou Not See the Light? Indeed, if we saw the light we would not be talking about the need for Alan to withdraw from the contest.

After all, the man he is challenging has openly said he is not worried about the fact that there is going to be a contest. Nana is a liberal democrat who believes in equality of opportunities for all. That, indeed, is one of the important virtues our party espouses and sets us aside from others.

Let us allow Mr Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen to challenge Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo again for our party�s flagbearership slot. Let�s allow Hon Isaac Osei and Prof Frimpong Boateng to join the race. How sad. May the soul of Quarshiga rest in perfect peace. I even want my man Hon Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu to join (Hon, you may however consider the idea later).

That is the beauty of democracy. It allows multiplicity of ideas and choices and, of course, CAMPS. Who says camps are not good? The camps will be good or bad depending upon how we want to use them. We can either make them prayer camps or witches camps. The choice is in our hands. PERIOD!

Till you hear from your Chief Apostle for NPP Unity again, let me say thanks for the positive responses I continue to receive from all like-minded Kukurudites who have been great sources of inspiration to me. Stay blessed.

As for the NDC guy, he says he is Sammy, who called from Tamale to �insult� me because he thinks I �demonized� President Mills in my �Oh NPP!�Why Thou Not See the Light?� article, all that I can say is that, May God (Allah) forgive you. As for Jerry who called to say my effort to promote unity in my party will come to nothing, all I can tell you is, wait and see.

Source: Kwabena Amankwah Former Tescon-UCC Secretary Mob: +233 0244-217504 Email: [email protected]