Blame Gabby, Ken & Yofi Grant for Akufo-Addo’s 2012 defeat

Whereas the General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, even after the election petition was adjudicated has consistently denied his party lost the 2012 election, his foremost contender, Kwabena Agyei Agyapong has admitted that the party indeed lost the elections, but faulted people he referred to as “latter day saints and late home-coming members” as the cause of the defeat.

Whiles calling for unity in the party, but at the same time circuitously chastising Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie aka Sir John, for compromising his position as a General Secretary by openly rooting for a third term bid of Nana Akufo-Addo, the former presidential spokesperson said “sycophants” within the NPP must be blamed for the party’s defeat.

Short of mentioning names, the aspiring General Secretary who featured highly at the final stages of the party’s 2012 campaign and was visible in court almost throughout the eight month long legal battle, said the party lost the 2012 election due to the conducts of persons who claim to love Nana Akufo-Addo than anybody else in the party.

“These latter day saints and late home-coming members in the party pretend to love Nana Addo than anybody in the party. They are the ones who caused his defeat. We must be united in the party. The party members must be mindful of the fact that genuine unity is the requisite for victory in 2016,” he said.

Though the former sports commentator never mentioned anybody by name, some NPP insiders believe he was referring to the likes of the former Executive Director of the Danquah Institute and cousin of Nana Addo, Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko; Executive Chairman of Databank Group, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta and Mr. Yofi Grant, a non-Executive Director of Databank Brokerage Ltd.

Party insiders say Messrs Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Ken Ofori-Atta and Yofi Grant did not just hijack Nana Akufo-Addo’s 2012 campaign because they believe that he (Nana Akufo-Addo) was sabotaged by his own party folks in 2008; they actually supervised almost every activity of the campaign and at a point they were more like “Jesus Christ” whose clearance ought to be sought before seeing God.

It would be recalled that Assin Central Member of Parliament, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong had once accused Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, Oboshie Sai Coffie and others for hijacking the party and unilaterally deciding on the direction of the party. This was after the party issued a statement disassociating itself from a treasonable comment he was deemed to have made in the run-up to the 2012 election, which statement he considered was decided on by those he accused of hijacking the party.

Almost a year down the line, his position has been reaffirmed by Kwabena Agyapong who is said was sidelined at the initial stage of the NPP’s 2012 campaign for reasons that he was a loyalist of Alan Kwadwo Kyarematen and could work against Nana Akufo-Addo for a second time defeat at the presidency.

The aspiring General Secretary could not fathom why the attacks on Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku, a former Minister of Trade in the Kufuor administration, for calling for a change of the NPP’s presidential candidate for the 2016 election.

Whiles describing the attacks as “alien to NPP’s democratic culture” on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen program on Wednesday, Mr Agyapong said “I have been appalled at the amount of insults hurled at Dr. Apraku”.

According to him, the question of whether Nana Akufo-Addo will aspire again to lead the NPP in 2016 is not the duty of any party leader to decide. Kwabena Agyapong said he believes Nana Addo is so very marketable but it is up to the electorate to decide whether they want him nor not.

“It is not for Sir John to come and say that he will confidently make sure Nana Addo leads the party. The party will bring Nana Addo in 2016 not Sir John. Sir John is the General Secretary of the party and he should be the last person to say that,” he said.

He noted that the NPP lost two successive elections by the “skin of our teeth” because the spirit of sacrifice is no more part of it moral fabric.