A former Presidential Aspirant of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, has condemned his party’s General Secretary’s open “bias” for the NPP’s twice-defeated presidential Candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, as far as the selection of a new flagbearer is concerned.
Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, popularly known as Sir John, recently told XYZ News that the former Attorney General will lead the NPP into the 2016 election even though Nana Akufo-Addo is yet to express an interest.
Sir John has found company in other party executives and prominent members, including Ashanti regional Chairman, F.F. Anto and founding father, Dr. Kwame Amoako-Tuffuor.
They believe Nana Akufo-Addo has been better marketed than any of the other presidential hopefuls, and thus, can relatively, easily win the presidency in 2016, if given a third chance.
Dr. Konadu Apraku is, however, seething over the open “bias” for Nana Akufo-Addo by people, he said, should know better than to “rush” and railroad the party’s processes in that regard.
“I have no difficulty at all with any member of our party expressing their private view as to who should lead our party, but I get worried about people in leadership positions who will arrogate onto themselves the right to determine who leads the party,” Dr. Apraku thundered when he spoke to XYZ Breakfast Show host Moro Awudu on Friday.
“This is not the time that we should be dividing ourselves, this is the time that anything that we say should help unite the party,” he counseled and added that: “…There are other alternative views for this party”.
According to him, the festering open lobbying for Nana Akufo-Addo by national executives and elders of the party flies in the face of a recent meeting by the National Executive Council (NEC) at which the National Executives were mandated to produce a road map to look at the forthcoming elections of the party.
“…So people who are charged with such responsibilities should not come publicly and tell us their views and their biases. They should be seen to be fair. They should be seen to be transparent in what they do, and above all, their action should inspire confidence in the processes that are going to be laid down for the party,” he insisted.
Being more specific, the former Minister of Trade in the Kufuor administration said: “It cannot be the case that the General Secretary or any other executive from any part of the party, [who] is involved in setting down these [processes], should have preconceived views. And not just that, but go ahead and tell people what ought to be. That does not inspire confidence in the work that these individuals will be charged to do and I think it’s most unfortunate”.
Dr. Apraku argued: “This country, as well as our party, is going through very difficult challenges. We need leaders that will inspire confidence; leaders who will bring us together…This is not the time that we need other voices to come and further divide us. I think people should act and speak responsibly so that we can move forward as a nation, first beginning with our party and also as a nation”.
He pointed out that: “…In the final analysis, it is the right of those who have been charged to vote that will take that decision”.
“I don’t want to personalise this discussion. I have a lot of respect for Nana Akufo-Addo. He is my friend, he’s my colleague. I don’t want to bring those issues to the public at this time [but] I believe a sensible approach to these processes will be a time of reflection for the party,” he noted.
He wondered why Sir John and his company are stampeding the process.
“Nana Akufo-Addo himself has thought it wise and publicly declared that he will need time to reflect on his decision. These people who are acting like ‘holier than the Pope’, [do] they know better than Akufo-Addo himself? Why should they be the ones out there making decisions for Akufo-Addo. If Nana Akufo-Addo wants to make a decision [whether] to contest or not, he’s capable to make that decision [but] he believes it’s time for reflection not just for himself, but also as a party…why do we want to jump the gun?” He blurted forth.
“It makes no sense that we begin to talk as if everything is ok, that we’re going into another election [and] thinking about a candidate. The difficulties that we faced can help inform the party; who can lead the party into victory. We are not just interested in producing presidential candidates so all we do is rush quickly to select. We are interested in winning power. That’s what is important to those who have followed us and given us their hopes and aspirations and we have disappointed them two times in a row”, he said.
“We cannot be just rushing”, Dr. Apraku warned and urged the party to “… reflect soberly. Let us think and be dispassionate about these matters. If it is Nana Akufo-Addo I will support him but let’s not jump the gun. Let us go through the process. Let us make sure that we carry along all the party members. We are already having difficulties in the party. The challenges, the supposed groups within the party, this is not what unites us. This is what further divides and polarises us and I’m opposed to it”.
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