11 December 2008
In its quest to retain power in the December run-off, the presidential candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo has reshuffled his campaign team. Credible information reaching The Chronicle indicates that Nana Addo himself has taken over the leadership of the campaign for the second round of the elections.
The Chronicle can report on authority that Nana Akufo-Addo has appointed Mr. Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen to be in charge of the campaign in the Ashanti Region, with Hon. Yaw Osaafo-Maafo, the former Minister of Finance and Economic Planning taking charge of the Eastern Region.
According to sources, the previous campaign team would now rally its strength behind the three man-squad, to be spearheaded by Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Before the assembly of this new team, Jake Otanka Obetsebi-Lamptey was the Naional campaign chairman, whiles Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku was the National campaign coordinator with Dr. Arthur Kobina Kennedy as the Communications Director and complemented by the national executives.
A source within the NPP confirmed to this paper that the reshuffle was not necessitated by the recent performance in the elections alone, but it was done to ensure that Hon. Osafo Maafo, who is a veteran politician and hails from the Eastern region, captures the region for the party.
Though Ashanti region still remains the stronghold of NPP, Mr. Alan Kyerematen has been tasked to spearhead the campaign to ensure total victory.Party members have blamed the inability of the NPP to win the elections by one touch to the lack of high voter turn out in the Ashanti region.
Meanwhile, Nana Addo has made clear his intension to contest the run-off with the conviction of winning.
Contrary to the perception that an NDC dominance in parliament could affect the making of policies by the executive under his administration, he assured Ghanaians that he had the capacity and ability to handle the administration of the country when given the mandate.
Nana Addo made these known at a press briefing in Accra yesterday, where he also noted that he was prepared to even work with a divided parliament because he has the ability to build consensus.
According to him, as a Foreign Minister who had been able to handle sensitive national issues, he would be able to work with a hung parliament, which he underscored was good for democracy.
Nana Addo, who appeared not to be perturbed about the results of the first round elections, indicated that regardless of the results, there was the need to commend millions of Ghanaians who voted for him.
He also commended the opposition party, especially the NDC, for giving him a good fight in what he described as clean, fair and transparent polls, but was quick to say, "It is not over, until it is over."
He also added that the sky was the limit for the NPP. "The limit where we are is not our limit, the sky is our limit," he said. He thus tasked all the members of the party to go out and work assiduously for the victory of the party on December 28.
Nana Addo went into history and unveiled how he fought dictatorship and injustices in Ghana.
According to the NPP presidential candidate, his message of building upon the achievements of President Kufuor's legacy to transform the nation, among many others, has been widely received across the nation.
He was optimistic that at the polls on December 28, 2008, the NPP will surely win the elections to continue with the good policies of the NPP administration.
In a related development, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, the leader and the presidential candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has accepted the certified results as announced by the Electoral Commission (EC).
He commended Ghanaians for reposing their confidence and trust in him, by voting massively for the NDC, adding that when given the mandate to rule the nation, he would not let Ghanaians down but be a president for all. He commended the EC for a good job done.
Prof Mills, known in political circles as "Asomdwehene", to wit, "King of Peace", at a press conference held immediately after the declaration of results by the EC at his Osu Kuku Hills campaign office, promised to lead the nation with honesty, integrity, openness and truth. He stressed that under his administration, he would not engage in political vendetta.
The NDC leader assured the supporters to remain calm and work with diligence to ensure that the NDC regains power at the polls in the second round on December 28, 2008.
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If this is true, it is a strategy in the right direction. The original campaign team was overbloated and full of deadweight(s). This lean and mean team has the potential to be more effective.
Well done Ghana for allowing citizens to freely choose the leaders. I think Africa will learn a lot from the Ghanaian case. Africa should learn that the advent of All Inclusive Gorvenments in some African countries like Kenya and Zimbabwe is a step towards autocracy; it's not democracy. Incumbents that lose elections should step down and not enter into some shaddy deals with the victors like Mugabe of Zimbabwe and Kibbaki of Kenya did. I think African democracies like Ghana, Senegal, Liberia and Siera Leone should establish a league of democracies in Africa where only African countries that completely adhere to democratic standards of holding elections are allowed to be members. I think the AU is quite useless as it as an all embracing organisation and the majority dictatorships in the AU are not willing to give democracy a chance.
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