Daniel Danquah Damptey
11 January 2008
opinion
Seventeen aspirants fought for the coveted crown. The rules of the contest stipulated that the winner must have fifty percent plus one of valid votes cast. At the end of the contest, none of the aspirants satisfied the rules to be declared a winner. However, two of them, Alan Kyerematen and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo had 738 and 1096 votes respectively.
Nana's vote represented 47% of the total votes cast, less than four percent of the required votes to be declared flag bearer of the party. The party was thus faced with a dilemma - Either to organise a run-off between the top two contestants or put pressure on the runner up to concede defeat.
The party however was saved the trouble of making a Hobson choice. The runner up, Alan Kyerematen, on his own volition conceded defeat and congratulated Nana. He announced his decision to expectant party men. The hall erupted into thunderous applause. To cement this unique bond of friendship and understanding, the two, Messrs Alan Kyerematen and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo, supported by their spouses, linked hands in a bond of solidarity to another round of applause from the crowd.
It was speech galore. All the aspirants pledged their unflinching support to the eventual winner, Nana Akufo Addo. The President, Party Chairman and the party's flag bearer made speeches attesting their firm belief in the party's tradition.
Procedure for the selection of NPP flagbearer
The New Patriotic Party went to Congress to choose its flag bearer and we did just that. What was wrong with that? I was therefore shocked to hear and read from the newspapers that the procedure adopted to make Nana Akufo Addo our flag bearer did not follow our Constitution. To such people, what the party chairman should have done after Alan had conceded defeat was to put the question to the delegates to indicate their acceptance of Nana Akufo Addo either by acclamation or show by hands.
But since that was not done the whole exercise should be declared a nullity. They even went to the ridiculous extent by suggesting that the party should call an extra-ordinary Congress to endorse the election of Nana Addo Dankwa as the party's presidential candidate.
The question is, are those making such a suggestion from this planet or another? And are such people not confused themselves? And to think that such a ridiculous suggestion is coming from our own political opponents in the Nefarious Destructive Cancer is what makes the whole idea laughable.
They even had the guts to challenge members of the party to go to court to challenge the constitutionality of the endorsement. Since when have these co fusionist in the Cancerous party acted within the confines of the constitution? The Supreme Court ruled against the celebration of June 4 and the 31st December anniversary.
Yet these men and women in the Nefarious Destructive Cancer continue to celebrate the events and make provocative and inflammatory statements in contravention of the Supreme Court Verdict.
What moral justification does the NDC have to condemn our party for not acting in line with the tenets of our constitution?
Are they, by inference telling us that they who are strangers to the party know better than the framers of the constitution? I am not absolving the party from any fragrant abuse of the constitution, if indeed there is any. The truth is that the thing is simply not there! We should not cry wolf where there is none. Period!
They should study the constitution of the party very well to enable them comment on it. Can they, in all sincerity tell me, and for that matter, members of the elephant's party, where in the NPP Constitution, is stated that the party's candidate must be acclaimed by delegates present at Congress? The Constitution talks about a situation where there is only one candidate at the close of nomination, but makes no mention of a situation where, if there is a run off and one of the contestants steps down before voting takes place.
WHAT THE PARTY'S CONSTITUTION SAYS
The PARTY'S CONSTITUTION stipulates that where there is only one candidate at the close of nomination, that candidate must be acclaimed by delegates at the Congress. In a run-off, if one of the candidates withdraws before voting takes place, the constitution is silent on it. Whether the eventual flag bearer was acclaimed by the party delegates or not is a non issue, since the constitution says nothing on it. If in a boxing tournament, the handlers of one of the fighters throw in the towel does the referee have to consult the crowd before ending the bout?
If one of the fighters decides, for reason better known to him, not to continue the fight, will the referee subject the decision of the fighter to the crowd's approval. If the answer is a big no, what are the proponents of the so-called acclamation talking about? I stand here to make this public proclamation that that the party executives did mot breach any aspect of the party's constitution when they anointed Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo the flag bearer.
Let us examine this scenario. During the 2000 presidential election, President Kufuor failed to get the required 50% plus one vote as enshrined in the constitution. If before the run off, Atta Mills had conceded defeat by declaring his intention not to contest the run-off election, are the proponents of this so called acclamation going to insist that the entire citizenly endorse Kufuor's election through another voting process?
So, you see, the arguments of such people are borne out of mischief. They had expected the party to break up but since no such thing happened, they are at their wits end to find something to flaw the electoral process which brought out the best candidate, who, incidentally, is the candidate other parties are afraid of. There is nothing wrong with the election of our flag bearer. If follow exactly what is enshrined in our constitution.
NANA WILL BECOME THE PRESIDENT
By the grace of God, Nana Addo Dankwa WILL BE ELECTED PRESIDENT by the good people of Ghana, come December 2008. If there are people who feel threatened by his presidency, my candid advice to such people is that they should relocate to another planet. It is as simple as ABC.
This brings me to the statement said to have been made by Mr. Asiedu Nketiah, General Secretary of the Nefarious Destructive Cancer about the seventeen aspirants who vied for the flag bearer ship of the New Patriotic Party. It is unfortunate that such a statement should come from him. Calling the aspirants a bunch of thieves who were going to elect one of them as the chief of the thieves was obviously a blow below the belt. For a person who was once a member of the law-making body in the country to open his mouth before his brain speaks a lot about the person, General Mosquito.
What is the sin of these aspirants? That they were doling out money? But can Asiedu Nketiah and his followers sincerely say that they did not spend money on their political ambition? What did Honourable Ayariga say about Eddie Annan's attempt at the flag bearer ship of the NDC?
Have they forgotten so soon the opulence they displayed at the launching of the NDC'S Constitution, where in full of everybody on national television, the Founder and ex leader of their party used his blood to append his signature on the party's constitution? We have not forgotten the donation that went into the party coffers at that time.
In the traditional Ghanaian Society and culture, any royal who nurses the ambition of becoming a chief one day begins oiling the machinery long before the seat becomes vacant. He visits his community on a regular basis, especially during funerals and festive occasions. He initiates development projects and interacts with the people on a regular basis. This endears him to the people he is aspiring to lead.
In the case of the seventeen aspirants, they had prepared themselves adequately for such an event. All their life savings and donations from friends, colleagues and others have been geared towards ensuring the success of their presidential ambition. All the money they were spending did not entirely come from their pockets.
Friends, organization, corporate bodies and many others contributed in cash and in kind to ensure the success of the aspirants' ambition. So, for Asiedu Nketiah to stand before a crowd of people, some of whom had been hired and refer to the aspirants as thieves who were about to elect their chief smacks of hypocrisy and also portrays the speaker as a person of warped mind.
What does he have to say about his party's founder who leads a life of extravagance and when challenged. Always had a ready made answer to the effect that he is living on the generosity of his friends. This former Air Force man, at the time he was President sent his daughter to Ghana International School, where fees are paid in dollars.
What does Asiedu Nketiah have to say about Gwarzo's allegation that the former military dictator of Nigeria gave some thousands of dollars to Rawlings to help shore up the waning popularity of the dictator, Sanni Abacha?
If Asiedu Nketiah has forgotten where he comes from, a little bit of reminder will do him a lot of good. I want to drum it into the minds of people of his caliber and his confused elements in his contraption that the seventeen aspirants on the ticket of the new Patriotic Party are not thieves.
They are very decent and hard-working entrepreneurs who were buoyed by patriotism to offer themselves for the highest position of our motherland. Even though, I must confess that not all of them had qualities we expected from presidential aspirants that in itself does not mean they were thieves'.
But I am not surprised at Asiedu Nketia's outburst. He belongs to a party whose elected national chairman, Dr Kwabena Adjei had supported an independent candidate against the official candidate of the party.
Asiedu Nketiah can be likened to Cassius in "Julius Caesar". Caesar definition fits him. Yond Cassius has a hungry look. He thinks too much . Such men are dangerous". He is one of the worst parliamentarians in Ghana since independence. The name "mosquito" reflects the sort of venom that his fangs and bites unleash on his innocent victims.
Notwithstanding his opinion about the seventeen aspirants, Ghanaians know the worst government they have ever had - the Nefarious Destructive Cancer {NDC}. Our nascent democratic dispensation does not need spoilers of Asiedu Nketia's calibre, but builders like Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo Addo.
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