Akufo Addo: The man to beat

Yenim wo firi tete

HE’S SUAVE, brash and yet can be most diplomatic. For some he’s a man with a self assured confidence in a nation full of light characters. Others say he has streaks of arrogance in him; those who’ve known him say he’s down to earth.To some, Akufo Addo, whose late father Edward Akuffo was the ceremonial president under the Busia administration, typifies the ‘abrofosem’, bourgeoisies image in the ruling NPP because of his parentage and crisp handling of the English language. For the proletariat masses of Nima, who have known him from childhood, he is one of them; a ghetto boy who knows when to play rough, when to play tough and when to lie low.

This is the tough, stable but somehow confusing image that many have of Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo, the English and French speaking but Nima-brought-up leading candidate of the ruling New Patriotic Party race to succeed outgoing President John Agyekum Kufuor.

“I come from a background where public service is considered a duty, and where privilege and good fortune demand even greater commitment to the common good. Generations of my forebears and relations have established this rich tradition of public service, of which I am proud and which has been the source of constant inspiration,” noted Akufo-Addo at the launch of his campaign weeks after resigning from office as Minister of Foreign Affairs to concentrate on his bid to lead the NPP into the next elections.

Now, aides say come this weekend when the election for the flagbearer of the ruling party is held, it would be ONETOUCH for the legal advocacy giant.

Carlos von Brazi, an Akufo Addo loyalist and member of his campaign team insisted Wednesday on the Accra-based CITI FM radio station that the race would lead to a ONETOUCH victory for Akufo Addo.

Mustapha Hamid, Akufo-Addo’s spokesperson, adds: “Nana is the only candidate who is admired, respected and at the same time, feared by the NDC. He is bold, intelligent and decisive. He would not stand for injustice or unfairness. It is a principle that the friends he grew up with in Swalaba, Accra Central, Nima and went to school with at Legon all remember him for.”

Almost every poll has continually put Akufo Addo among the top three candidates of the NPP, featuring him either as number one or number two in almost all the polls. Nana is the man to beat is the feeling among many people, who acknowledge that his struggles and long suffering for the ruling party makes him a ripped candidate to succeed his former competitor and former boss, President John Agyekum Kufuor.

Just yesterday afternoon, Nana Akufo Addo in a meeting with media personnel drawn from various houses at his late father’s house also reiterated the view that it is his turn to carry on the legacy and standards set by the incumbent president and he was hoping that the delegates would repose their faith in him to do a good job at that.

Recounting his belief in justice, law, order, diversity of opinion and in the ability of the Ghanaian, Akufo Addo recounted how against the odds and against the beliefs of some of his party leaders, he fought to repeal the criminal libel law as Attorney General.

In his opinion, the NPP now has the opportunity, with the legacy left by the outgoing Kufuor administration to make really significant pushes in the development of the Ghanaian economy

If the polls published in various media are anything to go by, Akufo Addo may well be on the way to victory.

One of the most detailed polls ever conducted in the country by Research International (RI) in all 230 constituencies across Ghana between June 22 – July 10, this year to provide inputs for strategies to minimize the fall-out of the competing interests to party cohesion for the 2008 elections, assess the performance/rating of institutions of the State and events and to assess the appeal of potential presidential candidates, puts him ahead of his colleagues.

With a sample size of 2,021 (87%) out of a targeted 2,320 people, who were made up of 1086 voters and 935 executives of the NPP, the study noted that if an election were held at the time, Akufo Addo would win by an overwhelming majority.

The study revealed that most people were more aware of Akufo Addo’s candidature than any of his competitors.

On a rated scale of 1 to 7 on their chances of leading the NPP to victory in the 2008 elections with a score of 1 meaning a candidate has a very poor score and a score of 7 meaning a candidate has a very good chance of leading the NPP to victory, Nana Akufo-Addo also came out ahead of his colleagues.

He was followed by Alhaji Aliu Mahama, Alan Kyerematen, Yaw Osafo Maafo and Dr. Addo Kufuor in that order the study, which was conducted among both party execs and voters and released long before the NPP delegates selection in November/December.

Within the regions, he was rated highest in all except Upper West and Volta by voters. In Upper West and Volta regions, Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama emerged as the highest rated candidate.

The party execs in the Northern and Western regions tied Nana Akufo-Addo and Alhaji Aliu Mahama as candidates with best chances of also leading the NPP to victory. Those from all the other regions apart from the Volta region placed him ahead of all the other candidates.

In the Volta Region, however, the party executives, according to the study thought Alan Kyerematen has a better chance of leading the party to victory.

Analysts, however, say, the report which came long before the filing of nominations by the candidates, may since have had its margin of error upped by so many factors. Others may also have put in place recommendations contained in the report on ways of bettering their candidature.

But aides of the Abuakwa MP insist that the NPP is a very traditional party that rewards loyalty and long service and would do so this weekend.

Samuel Abu Jinapor and Carlos Von Brazil have been trumpeting the same song this week, insisting that is what would ensure the victory of their man this weekend.

So says Victor Newmann, a long-standing ally of Akufo Addo and Head of Research for Akufo-Addo’s campaign.

“Nana has not only served the Party with distinction, he has the leadership qualities to win that big electoral challenge in December 2008. He is the complete candidate.”

Newman continues, “the NPP needs to choose a winnable candidate; someone with vision, proven organisational skills, exceptional dynamism, towering political pedigree and world recognised international exposure and respect, who can unite the party and who will easily be accepted by the rank and file of the Party and the swing voters among the general electorate.”

Akufo-Addo himself also insist that he is fully prepared to lead his party to defeat his former classmate and former university football partner, John Evans Atta Mills of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

“I am fully aware of the responsibility the job of leader brings as I am fortunate enough to carry a sense of the history and struggles that made that job possible as well as apprised of the challenges and opportunities of the future. Crucial to this future, is how to unleash energies to broaden the horizon and to realise the hopes of every man, woman and child in Ghana.”

As the clock ticks away slowly, those who believe Akufo Addo is the man to beat, also continue to ask, would the delegates indeed reward him for his long service to the party or would they think that in as much he has served the party well in the past, he is not the best candidate among the 17 aspirants to lead the NPP into the 2008 presidential race.

For the Ga Mashie (Swalaba) born Abuakwa South MP who speaks Ga, Twi, among many other languages, the delegates should bear in mind that the election is about “Who has the leadership qualities necessary to move this extraordinary nation forward to the next level of its development? Who can lead us to take the next bold steps towards the prosperity and general well-being of every citizen of Ghana?”