NPP is destroyed

“It will be long for party to come to power”

That the ongoing strife in the opposition New Patriotic Party has damaged it beyond repairs and risks wallowing in opposition at least for a decade more can hardly be disputed.

Indeed, if the forecast of an astute socio-political analyst well vexed in both local and international politics is anything to go by, then adherents of the elephant party should not relish any of the seven stalwarts presently battling for the flag bearer slot or any potential flag bearer after the 2016 elections can bring the party back to government.

Considering the deep seated rift and entrenched positions of the two competing tribal camps over whose interest and orders the party must obey, the shrewd political analyst, who wants to remain anonymous, told The aL-hAJJ in an exclusive interview that the NPP is “destroyed” as a result of which it will take the party ages to taste power.

Without mincing words, the analyst bluntly stated that the NPP, which has persistently been touted by its members as government in waiting, will miserably lose to the ruling National Democratic Congress in the next two presidential elections.

Field Day for NDC

Buttressing his opinion with thought-provoking analyses of the gloomy happenings in the biggest opposition party, the analyst noted that the ferocious internecine battle within the NPP has provided the NDC (barring pressing its own destruct button) a field day to organize and rally behind the Mahama government to solve the ills of the economy and put the country back on track for long term accelerated development and prosperity.

He said the internal strife among supporters of Nana Akufo-Addo and Kufuor/Alan which began when President Kufuor was about exiting office in 2008, has reached a scary crescendo that none of the factions, if given the opportunity to lead the party, can cross the 50.1% mark needed to win a national election either in 2016 or 2020.

“A cursory analysis of what is going on in the NPP points to only one conclusion. None of the two camps will be willing to compromise their stance to help the other to win an election. Both camps have vested interests, and each wants to control the party, have their preferred national officers and flag bearer in the driving seat. So if Nana Akufo-Addo is elected flag bearer in the upcoming congress, which he will certainly; Kufuor, Alan and the Ashanti cabal will ensure he does not win power in 2016,” the political analyst explained.

What has compounded the NPP’s difficulties the expert disclosed is that in spite of the present economic difficulties the Mahama government had to contend with, if current trend in how the difficulties are being managed continues, all the shocks currently affecting the economy are likely to abate next year by this time. According to the guru, unknown to many Ghanaians, and despite the present hardship, the NDC-led government is steadily but progressively laying a very strong foundation for a robust economic take off. He mentioned for example, this year’s favorable cocoa production and pricing, present optimum oil production at Jubilee and good price, as well as future oil and gas prospects expected to be on stream by 2016, as some of the indicators reflecting economic respite for the Mahama administration and by extension the nation. Another favorable factor/s to lift the government and country from current economic and social quagmire he stated is the imminent injection of nearly $3billion hard cash into the economy being proceeds from the cocoa syndicated loan and the 3rd Eurobond expected to hit the Bank of Ghana’s account next month. All this he added, coming on the heels of the commissioning of the multimillion dollars Atuabo Gas Infrastructure Project later this month, he said the nation henceforth is expected to save over $500 million yearly in foreign exchange, which makes the future economic prospects of the nation looks very bright. Aside this he noted, the Mahama government is also poised in revamping the railways sub-sector to not only help create jobs but to also improve on transportation in the country and save the millions used in improving the numerous deteriorated road networks in the country. Lurking in the dark The political analyst averred that all things being equal, if the Mahama administration makes the needed economic turnaround with these promising opportunities, the NPP will be left lurking in dark without any campaign message. “By this time, the NPP would have finished destroying itself beyond repair, and instead focusing on how to prosecute an attractive campaign to counter the achievements the NDC will be trumpeting, they will be spending time trying to mend their differences. And I can tell you that it will take the NPP years to bring to an end the internecine war they have started. Look, if Nana Addo loses the 2016 election, it will be largely blamed on Alan, Kufuor and their Ashanti kinsmen and that means should an Ashanti also gets the opportunity to lead the party into the ‘Agenda 2020’, Nana Akufo-Addo’s Akyem kinsmen and even some of his die in the wool Ashanti supporters would definitely want to revenge what was done to them. So for now, supporters of the party should just forget about their party coming back to power, at least not in elections 2016 or 2020,” he added. The centre cannot hold What started gradually as a tribal and personality cult between Nana Akufo-Addo and Alan Kyeremanten in the run up to who replaces president Kufuor for the 2008 elections, has blossom into a deep seated verbal and physical attacks from the two opposing factions. Indeed, in the recently held national delegates’ congress to elect new national executives, the two camps were alleged to have lined-up candidates to secure sensitive positions to prosecute a grand and elaborate agenda on for whoever becomes the party’s candidate for the 2016 elections. The outcome of the congress proved disastrous for the twice defeated presidential candidate as most of candidates he was alleged to be sponsoring, at least for the mainstream positions, were defeated by Alan’s men. While Alan thought he had triumph over Nana Akufo-Addo by getting his men to secure the National Chairman, General Secretary, National Women Organizer and other less influential positions, Nana Akufo-Addo’s men who were elected to deputy positions and other executive positions within the party hierarchy have not given the anti-Akyem septuagenarian nemesis a breathing space. Cat and Mouse game Sensing danger in how Nana Akufo-Addo’s men in the national executive have bare their teeth to block any of his antics in favor of Alan, the party’s General Secretary, Kwabena Agyepong, deviced a new strategy to replace all persons occupying non-elective positions in the national executive. His first move was attempts to axe the party’s Director of Finance, Mr Opare Hammond, and later insisted that regional representatives to the National Council be elected. Unfortunately for Kwabena Agyapong, one of the pillars of the anti-Akufo-Addo flag bearer, Kwadwo Mpiani lost his National Council position as a result of the election. His latest move, which has ruffled feathers in the Nana Akufo-Addo dominated NEC and party, was to ask the party’s acting Director of Communications, Perry Okudzeto, to proceed on leave and appointed new deputy communications director pending a substantive one. Reports are that the one-time presidential spokesperson intends kicking out all Nana Akufo-Addo perceived NEC members including the Director of Elections, Martin Adjei Mensah Korsah and Director of International Affairs, Mr Wiredu. Expectedly, the former Akyem Abuakwa legislator and his men have not taken this likely as they have been combing every media house to lambast the General Secretary and his ‘devious’ plan to destabilize the party. The harshest of the attacks came from the party’s Northern regional Chairman, Bugri Nabu, who has accused Kwabena Agyepong of taking bribe from the ruling party to use his position as the General Secretary of the party to destabilize and incapacitate the party as the nation prepares for the 2016 elections.