From 32% in 2007 to 4% in 2014, should Alan call it quits?

It was expected that Nana Akufo-Addo was going to win, but not as emphatically as we saw on Saturday. 94 percent for a single candidate out of 120,000 votes is unusual in the political history of the party and possibly the country.In 1992 a total of 1,998 delegates met to elect a presidential candidate for the party, seven candidates contested but the late Peter Ala Adjeitey  pulled out of the race in ninth hour. Professor Albert Adu Boahen obtained 1,121, representing 56.60 percent.Dr. Dsane Selby came second with 343 votes representing 17.30 percent. John Agyekum Kufour came third with 16.50 percent. Dr. Safo-Adu came fourth. J.A Addison followed and John Kwame Koduah came last.

In the year 1996, a total of 1,996 delegates voted. John Agyekum Kufour won with 1,034 votes representing 51.99 percent. Professor Albert Adu Boahen failed in his attempt to lead the party again when he secured 710 votes representing 35.70 percent.

 John Agyekum Kufour failed to secure electoral victory for the NPP in the 1996 general election, but was given another opportunity to lead the party into the 2000 election.When the party went to congress in 1998, Mr. Kufour was given a massive endorsement by delegates.

He beat Nana Akufu Addo, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apreku, J.H Mensah and Malik Alhassan Yakubu and as predicted, won power for the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition after 30 years in the political wilderness.

In 2007, the NPP needed a replacement for Mr. Kufour who was stepping down after two terms in office. 17 senior government officials as well as senior cabinet ministers expressed interest. It was the largest number of aspirants for a political party in Ghana.

Why the massive interest?-President Kufour had laid a solid foundation for an easy win.
 

After two days of voting and counting, Nana Akufo-Addo was declared winner and given the opportunity to lead the NPP into the 2008 election.He obtained 47 percent of total vote cast whiles his closest challenger, Alan Kyeremateng obtained 32 percent.

Nana Addo failed to secure victory for the NPP in the 2008 election.  After introspection, the party decided to expand its electoral college to include polling station executives as against the previous years where only constituency, Regional and National Executives who could vote at congresses.

At the Trade Fair Center in Accra where the event was held, the NPP said it was going to “reflect, re-strategize and re-capture.”

For the first time in the history of the party, polling station executives had a say in who leads the party during election.
In 2010 five aspirants put forward their names to lead the NPP to recapture power.

The rivalry between Nana Akufu Addo and Alan Kyeremateng was resurrected. A spill over from the 2007 Legon congress.

After voting, Nana Addo obtained 78 percent of total votes cast while Mr. Kyeremateng had 19 percent. A vote decline of 13 percent in the 2007 congress.

Though Nana Addo was tipped to win the Presidency for the NPP, that did not materialize. A dispute over the election resulted as settled finally at the Supreme Court in favor of John Dramani Mahama.When Nana Addo announced in March this year that he was going to run for the Presidency again, many predicted that he was going to win. Series of endorsement by Regional and Constituency executives meant that he was the clear favorite. Was it a clear indication that Alan Kyeremateng was going to loss?

On August 31, Nana Addo obtained 80 percent of votes cast (super delegates congress to reduce number of aspirants). Mr. Kyeremateng had 7 percent. “Unbelievable, surprising and Shocking” the words of former General Secretary of the party Nana Ohene Ntow and Spokesperson to Alan Kyeremateng after the final results.

After this “monumental” defeat Mr. Kyeremateng launched his campaign for the second hurdle. This time round with a promise to give party delegates motor bikes and other logistics if elected.

Delegates were going to give Mr. Kyeremateng further headaches; just given him 4 percent out total vote cast was unbelieving, surprising and shocking (borrowing the words of Nana Ohene Ntwo).

Mr. Kyeremateng has never beaten Nana Addo in any internal election, since 2007. In Legon Nana Addo had 47 percent, Alan had 32 percent.

In 2010 Alan had 19 percent whiles Nana Addo had 78 percent. In August 2014, Nana Addo had 80 percent whiles Alan managed 7 percent. October 18th was the last straw that broke the camel’s back-Nana Addo secured 94 percent whiles Alan 4 percent.So why is Alan’s popularity dwindling?

After the 2007 congress, Mr. Kyermenteng wrote a two paged letter announcing his resignation from the NPP. His reason? Many of his supporters were been victimized.

A high profile meeting chaired by former President with party Chairman then Peter Mac Manu and General Secretary Nana Ohene Ntow was called to investigate Mr. Kyeremanteng’s allegation.

 Few days after Mr. Kyerementeng rescinded his decision. But party members will never forgive him. It has become an albatross around his neck and his opponents keep making reference to it.

By that single act it made him more unpopular, he was seen as a betrayer and not loyal. It was an issue he had to explain over and over again at every media encounter.

Another issue that may have affected Alan Kyerementeng’s popularity in the NPP is his inactiveness after every internal elections.

He goes to hide as a party member once told me. In 2007 after the congress Nana Akufu Addo appointed him as Chairman of a Committee that needed to court the support of Identifiable Groups in the country. Many say he was not visible enough with task.

In 2012, same arguments were made; he was missing in action when Nana Akufu-Addo was campaigning to be President, appearing just a few times on campaign platforms.

Some of the party faithfuls were clearly not happy about the situation, but the questions on the lips of many are- what is the political future of Alan Cash? Will he run again in future? Will he quit politics?, Will he still harbor his Presidential ambition? Will he become irrelevant in the NPP?

Will Alan have saved his face if he listened to calls for him to step down for the man he described as his “friend and senior brother.”

May be Mr. Kyeremanteng will console himself with the famous words of  George E. Woodberry, American literary critic and poet “Defeat is not the worst of failures. Not to have tried is the true failure.’’

But l believe its time for Mr. Kyeremateng to say good bye to NPP internal politicking. Or better still his dreams of being a flagbearer of the party.