General News of 2013-02-25

NPP will collapse if it does not pursue court case - Nana Akomea

Director of Communications of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akomea has hinted the party will collapse if it does not pursue its court case against President John Mahama.

He said the NPP owes it a duty to its members to challenge the election results to its logical conclusion even if the Supreme Court does not reverse the verdict in its favour.

Nana Akomea was reacting to comments by Kwame Pianim asking the NPP to accept the 2012 election results.

Mr. Pianim in an interview with Africawatch magazine said the party’s national executives are exhibiting “intellectual and mental laziness”.

Rather than going to court, Kwame Pianim urged the NPP to accept the verdict no matter how bitter it is and move on.

But speaking on Asempa FM on Monday, Nana Akomea expressed disappointment and questioned the motive behind Mr. Pianim’s comments.

He said Kwame Painim as an elder statesman of the NPP had all the liberty to consult the party leadership for briefing before coming out with his opinion.

Nana Akomea stressed that the decision to go to court was taken by the National Council of the NPP which is made up of representatives of the various groups in the party.

He added that the supporters will lose confidence in the party leadership if, despite the evidence it has to win the case, decides to sweep the matter under the carpet.

He said Kwame Pianim has no moral authority to chide the NPP for going to court when in fact in 1996, he [Pianim] sought to place an injunction on the party’s flagbearerhip contest because someone had challenged his [Pianim] legitimacy to contest the election.

The NPP Director of Communications said there will be an implosion if the party decides to abandon the case.

He intimated that the NPP has the responsibility to its expectant supporters and Ghanaians at large to expose the irregularities in the 2012 election to ensure it does not repeat itself.

Nana Akomea said all those against the NPP's decision to challenge the election results are not patriotic.

However, Greater Regional Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ade Coker, has said the NPP has itself to blame for giving their supporters false hopes.

According to him, the NPP decision to challenge the election verdict in court is to appease its members for the election defeat.

Ade Coker said Nana Akomea's comment does not come to him as a surprise because most of the NPP supporters are considering leaving the party.