Jake angry with Akufo-Addo and NPP

Former National Chairman of the New Patriotic Party, Jake Otanka Obetsebi Lamptey, is reported to be incensed with the leadership of the NPP, particularly its 2016 flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, over neglect and ill-treatment.

The staunch Nana Akufo-Addo devotee, who lost his post to Paul Afoko last year, The aL-hAJJ is reliably informed, is stunned by his sudden neglect and sideline in the affairs of the party.

According to close associates of the onetime flagbearer aspirant and first chief of staff under the Kufuor adminstration, and who is credited to be the brain behind former President Kufuor’s victory in the 2000 elections, Jake has now been reduced to an “ordinary foot soldier” since he lost his post.

Some of his aides, who do not want their names mentioned, accused Nana Akufo-Addo of betraying him, saying “Jake defied all odds and pushed for Nana Akufo-Addo to be the obvious choice for NPP in 2016 only to be betrayed at the last minute during our last congress and abandoned.”

“Jake spent the better part of his stay in office as national chairman working on Nana Akufo-Addo’s retention as flagbearer. Look, no one will tell you this but I’m telling you for the first time, Jake did what the NPP’s constitution was not required of him to do because Nana Addo agreed to support him in his second term bid. It was a mutual agreement between the two of them, but Jake only realized Nana Addo’s support for him was a sham when we got to Tamale.”

Another source close to former NPP Chairman who was highly criticized for buying a lived-in state bungalow, said unknown to Jake and “those of us on his team,” Nana Akufo-Addo was torn between him (Jake) and Fred Oware, “but do you know what, Nana Addo was pressured to dump Jake for Oware and that led to his defeat.”

“After this painful ordeal, Jake did not give up on Nana Addo’s third presidential bid. He did all he could to campaign for Nana Addo to be elected for the third time as flagbearer…but even doing that was a bit difficult because those around Nana Addo never allowed him to go near him. They did not involve him in anything till the end of the flagbearer contest…and the most painful aspect is that after the election, nobody has called or invited him for any meeting or whatsoever,” the source fumed.

Although it is being reported that Jake is not in the best of health, sources close to him say he is very disappointed over his non-involvement in the affairs of the NPP, particularly “what goes into Nana Addo’s strategies ahead of the 2016 elections…because Jake surrendered his responsibility as leader of the party after the 2012 elections to Nana Addo even when our constitution did not allow that.”

Party insiders told this paper that though Mr Jake Obetsebi Lamptey was last week spotted at the residence of the NPP 2016 flagbearer, Nana Akufo Addo, it was not clear the purpose of his visit, but they say it may not be unconnected with Jake’s present predicament.

“I can tell you that Jake is not a happy man, he feels let down by his own people. The party leadership has succeeded in pushing him into political hibernation. Ever since he (Jake) lost the national chairman post, have you ever see him partake in any NPP activity? That is because they don’t involve him,” a source close to the Jake stated.

On the contrary, even though Jake together with his then general secretary, Kwadjo Owusu Afriyie, also popularly known as Sir John lost their respective positions last year, and both are known Akufo-Addo backers, Sir John is now virtually becoming the de facto spokesperson of the NPP.

A similar sentiment was expressed by Asamoah Gyamfi, a close aide of Jake who doubles as Communications team member of the NPP, immediately after the Tamale congress which his boss performed abysmally.

Asamoah Gyamfi last year told The aL-hAJJ that before the NPP congress “there were wrong signals sent that Nana Addo was initially backing Jake and on the eve of that, he changed his mind to say he was supporting Fred Oware and the delegates felt that they couldn’t be toyed around like that and that if you don’t like Jake, then why Fred Oware because they’re the same people. Why do you like Sir John…?

Because they’re the same team so if you don’t like the leader of the team then all the players are not good…so the delegates decided to vote independently and that was how come we got a reflection of that… ooh yeah…he was backing Jake then he dumped him for Fred Oware based on pressure…as a result of pressure from people around him. Most of the people around Nana Addo including MPs and leading members like Boakye Agyarko and those around him. Most of the people around Nana Addo didn’t want Jake to be the Chairman”.

Meanwhile, a source close to the 2016 NPP presidential candidate has rubbished the claim of Jake being neglected by Nana Akufo-Addo, assuring that “very soon when Nana announces his campaign team you will hear Jake’s name and he will play a key role in that campaign”.

The source, who don’t want to be named, however, denied media reports that Akufo-Addo has promised Jake the position of Chief of Staff in the unlikely event he (Nana) wins the 2016 presidential election.