NPP in Stormy, Dangerous Waters; Who Navigates It To Safety?

It does seem the current NPP is failing to take a cue from what happened at a similar period, or time when the party was in power under former President, John Agyekum Kufuor. The NPP look all set to script a similar obituary in 2024, if the wrong choice is made in the party’ presidential nomination. This is premised on pronouncements and actions of certain major party stakeholders, who are bent on slanting the upcoming presidential candidate selection to a skewed direction.

Their analyses are tinged with petty religious, regional and ethnic innuendoes. And from all indications, it’s a deliberate ploy to throw themselves into the fray to fill the running mate void. Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, the majority leader was first to subtly test his thirst for the vice presidential nominee through his ill-conceived time for a Northerner to lead the NPP agenda. In the estimation of Kyei Bonsu, it would be politically suicidal to bring another Akan presidential candidate after an Akan president.

He obviously was doing a Bawumia bidding, with an eye on the party’s running mate slot. By permutation, in the event the Vice President won the NPP presidential nomination, a southerner, presumably an Akan would be the likely choice to fill the vice running mate slot. And so, the likes of Kyei Mensah-Bonsu, Mathew Opoku Prempeh, Ursula Owusu-Ekuful are all in tow with the Bawumia candidacy to stoke up their parochial political interest. There are others too, especially, those at the presidency who think a Bawumia presidency, will offer them yet, another chance to position themselves at the presidency. And you know what they can do!

After all, they were those who sneaked in a non-card bearing Bawumia to a position as high as running mate which ultimately, catapulted him to the office of Vice President of the Republic in 2017. And so, Bawumia owes them every bit of his political visibility within the last decade.To the Kyei Mensah Bonsu ilk, their thinking is simply warped, I dare say! The Jubilee House Keepers are the ones whose actions are likely to land the NPP in opposition. They seem so repugnant and repulsive to the most purist of NPP members and supporters because the consensus is that they have hijacked the presidency from the party.

Who best fits the ‘ethnic, tribal and religious’ slants?

Hypothetically, if we should consider without admitting it’s the best electioneering tool, the ethnic and regional conundrum best suit an Alan candidature. It’s that simple! Alan is an Asante through his paternal lineage. His father is an Odeshie with a huge legacy in Asanteman. Who can think of an NPP triumph without the overwhelming input of the Asante votes? Again, which two Regions decide Ghanaian voting pattern? It’s simply the twin Regions of Central and Western. Alan’s mother is from Elmina (Edina) in the Central Region. Already, his support base in the Central Region is swirling with the new catch-phrase: Adze papa wo fie a oye; to wit loosely: It’s only the best that is good for the home.

An Alan win in the Central Region is likely to have a rippling and significant effects in the Western Region. It’s one factual occurrence that defies scientific proof or analysis. So who dares throw-in the ethnic card? Alan supporters may gleefully accept any such devalue of the NPP primary campaign; and perhaps, rightly so! This is because it’s a trajectory that does not only make Alan the clear choice of the NPP; but also the likelier President of the Republic in 2025. Yet, the man himself believe elections should be way above such debasement, to the quality of the candidate. 

With the all-powerful government machinery grinding and struggling to lubricate the wheels of the Bawumia candidacy, the calm disposition of Alan seems to be doing the trick for him; and eventually result in a record-breaking breach of the 2^nd Term Curse. The clergy is aware of the Alan-wonder. They seem to be in awe how the Edina boy had maintained such unruffled temperament in the robust political space that often transcends to extreme provocation by some elements within his own party. Reverend Ampiah Koufie extolled such rare qualities of Alan and urged him to maintain same in his political pursuit.

Alan, the ‘newest breed’ presidential material

Ghana is yet to experience a President who is thoroughly a corporate and job creator with a distinguished track in diplomacy. Alan showed his corporate nous as Minister of Trade under both Presidents Kufuor and Akufo Addo administrations. Many anti Alan elements are struggling, albeit a façade, to accept the fact that the former Trade Minister is the brain-child of the major Akufo Addo achievement model—The One District, One Factory campaign promise. Under President Kufuor, Alan initiated many innovative programmes that included private sector development and presidential special initiatives that became strategic pillars of growth in the administration of the former President.

The Cash man has no parallel in diplomacy; the kind needed to calm the stormy diplomatic challenges that most African countries encounter in dealing with development partners. And that is simply because of his wealth of achievements and visibility within the diplomatic realm. As Ghana’s Ambassador to the United States during the first term administration of President Kufuor, Alan Cash served as the Trade Advisor at the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA) and headed the African Trade Policy Centre. The centre has a primary object of strengthening the human and institutional capacities of African governments to formulate and implement sound trade policies and trade negotiations at the bilateral, regional and multi-national levels. In the same regime, the Cash man established the US—Ghana economic Council.

It’s a high level Advocacy and Advisory Group established to deepen economic relations and bilateral trade between Ghana and the United States. He also coordinated the Ghana Government’s renegotiation of the Westel agreement with Wireless; and VALCO’s agreement with the Kaiser Aluminum Company and credited with the implementation of the first Investment Forum in the United States that showcased the economic potential of the then 10 Regions of Ghana. In all of these arrangement Alan combined diplomacy, tact and well-thought through policies that shaped Ghana’s trading with other development partners. This is the man Ghana needs in a new world order, where governance is all about sourcing for best business practices to improve the lives of the citizenry. 

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