A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Richard Anane has blamed the two-time presidential candidate of the party, Nana Akufo-Addo for the friction between him and ex-President John Kufuor.
He alleged that Nana Addo and his campaign team in 1998 approached party elders including the late Bernard Da Rocha and the then party chairman, Samuel Odoi-Sykes to ask Kufuor to step down although he had been voted as flagbearer to lead the NPP in the 2000 elections.
According to him, Nana Addo’s team approached the party leadership with the reason that John Kufuor was not in good health therefore, leading the party is such a condition could have dire consequences.
He mentioned that Da Rocha “sent them [Nana Addo’s team] from his home” while Odoi-Sykes “just laughed it off.”
[contextly_sidebar id=”crCrc6r5vd5Kdnx76hXAuzdRcRgCtteR”]The Member of Parliament (MP) for Nhyiaeso therefore indicated that recent calls for other flagbearer aspirants to bow out of the race are reminiscent of the 1998 incident.
After Nana Addo’s landslide victory in the NPP’s super delegates’ congress on August 31, some party members have been advocating for him to go unopposed.
The aspirants who made in onto the list of final five came under pressure to step down since the results of the August 31 congress was an indication of which candidate the delegates wish to lead the party.
Mr. Anane’s comments will serve as proof for those who blame former President Kufuor for the supposed split in the party due to his perceived support for Alan Kyerematen.
Two aspirants, Joe Ghartey and Kofi Osei Ameyaw have bowed out of the race, leaving only three candidates, Nana Akufo-Addo, Alan Kyeremanten and Francis Addai Nimoh will battle it out on October 18.
Dr. Anane is of the view that calls for other aspirants to step down is a show of disrespect to party delegates.
He asked, “how can you disrespect the electorate who have gone to vote for a particular as their presidential candidate for you to come and say that person does not have the swag to contest?”
Addressing party delegates during Alan Kyeremanten’s campaign launch at Lapaz, a suburb of Accra over the weekend, Dr. Anane said Nana Addo and his team hardly accept defeat.
He thus urged party delegates to vote wisely on October 18 because Kyeremanten is the component leader the party needs to win the 2016 general elections.
Dr. Anane told Citi News, he has the progress of NPP at heart saying, “it is not that I am an Alan man; I am an NPP and I believe in the right things and I also believe that when you are seeking power, you must e satisfied with the electorate.”
By: Efua Idan Osam/citifmonline.com/Ghana
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