John Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten
"I choose the limits of my writing, not interpretation" - Kwaku Nti
The line is drawn, the systems are set and the final music is about
to be played for the remaining three contestants of the New Patriotic
Party (NPP) flagbearership race to know their fate. Delegates clad in
the party’s red, blue and white colours of the party with the symbolic
elephant embossed in them would gather at the two hundred and seventy
five (275) constituency centres to cast their votes.
The EC other than any other media house or contestant is the only
body mandated to declare the final results at the NPP party headquarters
where supporters would gather to hear the final results. Various
candidate agents have also been informed of the dos and don’ts of the
contest as a means of ensuring that the NPP sail through peacefully.
While party supporters and individual sympathisers wait to know who
leads the NPP into 2016, I tried to recollect when a major heavyweight
in this kind of contest in the NPP was beaten to the ultimate by an
underdog contestant. And yes, I do now remember that once in the
democratic walk of the psrty, a man from nowhere emerged to beat a major
favourite to first position.
His name is John Agyekum Kufuor, yes, J.A Kufuor as he was known
then, emerged from a third position he placed in the 1992 congress to
beat the favourite contender, the late Albert Adu Boahen. This happened
on 20
th April, 1996 when the man who was accused of flirting
with the Provisional National Defense Council (PNDC) made it past the
late Professor to contest the 1996 national elections on the ticket of
the NPP.
Prof. Adu Boahen’s political career was given a boost after a speech
in 1988 which broke the age-long culture of silence in Ghana. With the
NPP backing out of the 1992 elections to write the ‘Stolen Verdict’ as a
protest, every NPP sympathiser chanted ‘Hail Adu Boahen’ as the 1996
elections approached. Roses were virtually thrown at the feet of the man
who everyone thought would emerge to give Rawlings that heated chase
for the presidency. Prof. Adu-Boahen’s chances glittered when the
Supreme Court upheld a controversial law preventing individuals
convicted of treasonous acts from holding public office, even if such
acts were committed during periods of unconstitutional rule. A favourite
in the contest, Mr. Andrews Kwame Pianim became fell to this ruling.
Thus, with the NPP achieving some of the electoral reforms they had
proposed prior to the 1996 contest, it was highly anticipated both
within and outside Ghana that the Part Two of Jerry Rawlings versus Adu
Boahen would be staged when Ghanaians head to the polls. True to this
expectation, the University of Ghana venue for the 1996 NPP congress,
where the Professor lectured in History was also flooded with several
images of the contenders with his being very visible. But the final
results as was announced turned to be the opposite and it meant there
would never be a Part Two of the much anticipated contest:
NPP 1996 primaries results
Name of Aspirant Votes Obtained Percentage
John Agyekum Kufuor 1,034 51.99%
Prof. Albert Adu Boahen 710 35.70%
John Henry Mensah 110 5.53%
Dr. Jones Ofori Atta 69 3.47%
Dr. Kwame Safo Adu 42 2.11%
Dr. Kofi Dsane Selby 24 1.21%
Credit: antwi-boasiako.blogspot.com
The above table indicates how the show played out when the NPP
trotted to the hill of knowledge to determine their political destiny.
Prominent among the various reasons assigned for the success of the
‘Gentle Giant’ as Kufuor was latter to be known was the fact that NPP
delegates at the time thought it wise to select a calm person who would
help ease the political tension that existed between the NPP and the NDC
at the time. It was felt Adu Boahen was too radical a personality to
contest Rawlings again. Ghana was not ready to have its political
tensions go beyond a hundred degree Celsius, hence the feeling that
Kufuor would do the trick for the NPP.
But the NPP delegates had to wait to repose confidence in the
candidature of Kufuor two years later in 1998 before the party could
ascend the highest office of the land. The 1998 congress of the NPP
organized in Sunyani also had similar results with Kufuor winning over
Nana Addo but this time round, the marketability of the candidate was of
prime concern. Kufuor was thought to have an advantage over Mills who
would be a new face on the electoral poster after Rawlings is done with
his second term.
2014 congress
Eighteen years after the interesting contest of 1996, the NPP is once
again preparing to go to run a similar one which I seek to know whether
history would repeat itself when delegates gather to cast their votes.
The difference this time is the change in venue which would mean that
the delegates would gather in their individual constituencies and
determine who carry high the elephant to face the NDC in 2016. Also,
unlike the 1996 contest, which had six contestants who were allowed to
contest directly, the seven aspirants that filed in 2014 were cut down
to five courtesy a clause in the NPP’s constitution that allowed for a
special congress to decide on who qualifies and who doesn’t. The
official result as published indicated some have to give way for others.
Name of Aspirant Votes Obtained Percentage
Nana Akufo-Addo 598 80.81%
Alan Kyeremateng 59 7.97%
Addai-Nimoh 22 2.97%
Joe Ghartey 22 2.97%
Osei Ameyaw 16 2.16%
Asamoah Boateng 13 1.76%
Konadu Apraku 10 1.35%
Credit: peacefmonline.com
Misters Asamoah Boateng and Konadu Apraku, per the results, had to
say goodbye to their visions of leading the NPP at least into 2016
elections.
However, two other candidates who qualified for the October 18
th
congress based on either their own convictions or through persuasion or
a combination of the two decided to step down. One of them, Osei Ameyaw
decided to throw his weight behind the Prof Adu Boahen of this contest,
Nana Addo.
“I am therefore, withdrawing from the race to lend my support to the
united movement… proceed to Nana Addo to congratulate and endorse him to
lead the party going into the 2016 general elections…,” Osei Ameyaw
said to the media. Spreading like the deadly ebola, his endorsement has
led to further endorsements of the candidature of Nana Addo as the one
fit to lead the NPP this time. Sworn supporters of his close contender,
Alan Kyeremanten are ‘repenting’ to come and follow the man who has on
two consecutive occasions carried the flag of the NPP and lost.
These endorsements and approvals make the contest similar to that of
the 1996 race where Prof. Adu Boahen did not only receive endorsements
but was held as the one to lead the party by hook or crook. Nana Addo’s
name and posters are flying high than his contenders as well. The
similarities in the contest however, does not seem to suggest a similar
outcome as the recorded statistics available indicate Nana Addo has
always had the best in encounters which Alan Kyeremanten is involved.
From the 2008 Legon congress where Mr. Kyeremanten threw in the towel
despite Nana Addo failing to secure a required 50% of the votes in the
contest run between seventeen NPP members, the fortunes of the former
has always dwindled in NPP internal contest. In 2010, Mr. Kyeremanten
fell from the 32.30% which he chalked in the 2007 primaries to 20.40%.
This represents a significant 11.90% lost in his percentage of votes;
and in the ‘2014 mock primaries’, as I have chosen to call the special
delegates conference; Mr. Kyeremanten fell further to 7.97%.
With the principle of every vote counting in politics applying in the
NPP internal contest, it can be deduced that Mr. Kyeremanten would be a
‘mismatch’ for Nana Addo whose fortunes have been increasing in each
contest since 2007. From 47.96% in 2007 to 77.92% in 2010, Nana Addo
seems to be heading for more than an 85% endorsement after he polled
80.81% in the ‘mock primaries’. Hence, it would be no news when the EC
announce on Saturday, 18
th October, 2014 that Nana Addo is the man chosen to represent the NPP in 2016.
The news?
What obviously would be news is the announcement that Alan
Kyeremanten have managed to beat Nana Addo to the ultimate. And this,
all fair minded political pundits in the country have argued seem
impossible. What they see possible is Mr. Kyermenaten possibly beating
any contestant brought forth by the Nana Addo camp to lead the NPP with
the exit of Nana Addo from the race after 2016. The outcome of such a
contest would be determined by many factors which may arise in the years
leading to the said year in which such a contest would be organised.
However, Alan ought to put up a great show this time around if indeed
he wants Ghanaians to see him as a viable alternative to win floating
voters for the party someday. He cannot afford to continue getting
single percentages because the likes of Addai Nimoh are now chasing his
position in the party. The time is apt for him to do all within his
means to restore the name and position he enjoyed in the NPP prior to
2010. If he fails this time, he may have to go and start all over again
as the clout around him may leave.
Addai Nimoh factor
The Member of Parliament (MP) for Asante Mampong would herald his
preparedness to lead the NPP in future if he is able to have a
‘more-than-expected’ results in the Saturday polls. To me, he has got
nothing to lose by perhaps choosing to resign to his fate and lie at the
bottom of the contest, but he has much to gain by over-stretching
himself to out-jump Mr. Kyeremanten whom many have penciled to place a
comfortable second.
Such a result would indicate how he has separated himself from the
likes of Osei-Ameyaw, Joe-Ghartey, Asamoah Boateng and many others who
are nursing the vision of leading the NPP in the near future. After
showing that he has what it takes to brush aside known contestants like
the named and Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, I would be among the least
surprised people in Ghana if he makes it to a second place.
However, a herculous over-jump to ditch Nana Addo or Kyermanten to
the position of the flagbearer of the NPP would be counted as a part of
the greatest political wonders in Ghana’s fourth republic.
I wish the NPP well and I would be back to analyse the outcome and
the suitability of the elected candidate to win-back power for the
Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition. Until then, always remember that, I
choose the limits of my writing and not your interpretation.
Source: Ghana/adomonline.com / Kwaku Nti / frank.nti@adomonline.com / twitter: @NanaKwakuNti
