Veep Not New To NPP

*Who says Aliu’s people won’t vote for him? Amoako Tuffour asks

top adviser to Alhaji Aliu Mahama’s Presidential Campaign Team, Dr Amoako Tuffuor, says the Vice President is not new in the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP, describing as useless talk the assertion by certain NPP presidential aspirants that the Veep’s constituents in the Northern Regions as well as in the Zongos won’t vote for him and the NPP if he (Vice President) is given the nod to lead the party into the 2008 elections.

He asked that if people in the Zongos and the Northern Regions won’t vote for the Vice President, whom he described as a “Zaage Zongo son”, then is it those aspirants who do not even speak Hausa and show no concern to the plight of those electorate that they will vote for?

“You see, some Akans are saying his [Aliu] people will not vote for him. If his people will not vote for him are you the one they will vote for? You, who don’t even know there and when there is a funeral and other incidents you don’t even care, are you the one to get their votes? Such useless talks! I look at them with pity and they want to be heads of state and they keep lying. How do you think about all these?” these are part of comments made by Dr Tuffuor at the recent Aliu for President Launch at Mankesim in the Central Region.

According to Dr. Amoako Tuffuor, election history and statistics in the country show that the people in the Volta Region do not vote for Akan candidates, insisting that they rather vote alongside the three Northern Regions.

Therefore, he said the Vice President is the right person to swing those votes in favour of the NPP if allowed to lead the party into the upcoming 2008 elections.

“Excuse me to say, if Voltarians are voting, they don’t vote for Akans. They know the difference. If you know history and study the statistics, they vote where the Northerners vote. So we have one choice for 2008", he maintained.

Amoako Tuffour also insisted that the Veep has been a long standing member of the NPP, whose records show that he supported the party while in opposition and bankrolled party memebers in the North.

Meanwhile, Dr Tuffuor has noted that what he said at Mankesim was devoid of malice and that he did not mean to play the tribal card, describing himself as a detribalized person who fights against tribalism in politics.

He said he has a track record to substantiate that he does not do politics with regards to geographical, religious or tribal sentiments, citing a case in which he legally fought against the removal of one time Chief Justice Akpaloo by the Limann government even though he is an Akan and Akpaloo was an Ewe.

“I have a history in this country that I, I am detribalised. That is why when Limann came to power and he wanted to sack a Chief Justice, I personally stood against it. Even my own tribesmen asked me why I was defending an Ewe and I told them that an Ewe is also a Ghanaian. I took the case to the Supreme Court and subsequently won, which made Akpaloo maintain his position. And so, when I am talking, I don’t do tribal politics, that this is north, south etc”, Dr Amoako Tuffuor emphasized.

We bring readers a verbatim transcription of what Dr Amoako Tuffour, member of the Veep’s campaign team said at the launch of the Veep’s campaign at Mankessim in the Central Region. He spoke mainly in Twi.

His Excellency, the Vice President.

The Second Lady, Mrs. Hajia Mahama.

Nananom, ladies and gentlemen, brothers and sisters, I’m here for a purpose!

If someone looks at me, he would know my immense contribution towards this party. By the grace of God, when some of us are talking we know what we are talking about. This is because we have been at the forefront of the struggle of this [Danqua/Busia/Dombo] party.

When the party came into being, I was a young boy. I was stabbed on my right hand by CPP [foot soldiers].

I donated my Land Cruiser to the Ashanti Regional branch of the party. Alhaji Aliu Mahama also gave his vehicle to the Northern Regional branch to manage the affairs of this party.

I do not do politics with my heart. I try as much as possible to pray and seek God’s directions. And so, whatever I say, I say it with all authority. All because I know what I am about.

When it all started in 1992, Dr. Sarfo Adu’s residence was right opposite mine in Kumasi. And so he came to seek my assistance. I thought about it and in three days time I went and advised him that it will be better if we all support Professor Adu Boahen.

And so I went and supported Adu Boahen who had also come to seek my assistance.

I became Adu Boahen’s advisor and campaign strategist. I was mainly tasked to strategise and plan on how to win the elections.

We all know that we won the elections which we dubbed “the stolen verdict”.

Also, about the same time, His Excellency the President J. A. Kufuor came to seek my assistance. But, I told him that, you are my brother, this election will not favour you and so let’s give it to the one who really deserves it.

I then told him that if I were you, I would resign from the race and call a press conference and tell the whole country that I, J. A. Kufuor, even though I am popular, I have resigned and I am now supporting Prof. Adu Boahen who deserves it at this time.

But Kufuor did not accept my advice and went ahead to contest which he lost.

So, when he decided to contest for the subsequent one, he again came to seek my assistance to plan and strategise for him. This time I told him to give me three days to consult and tell the elders that it had come to J. A Kufuor’s time and so they should give him the nod because he was the most marketable and desired choice and also the one who can lead the NPP into the battle.

Many people did not agree with me. So, through hard work and God’s power, indeed he won. It wasn’t by chance, but his time was due.

However, during those days we were hearing a lot of noise from the NDC to the effect that our party [NPP] is an Akan party. To this end we employed a small trick to neutralize that propaganda.

What we told the electorate was that it was about time they changed the NDC government for the NPP since the NDC had been in power for too long. However, they nearly succeeded in beating us with that Akan-Party strategy which we managed to jump over.

Now we were able to defeat them in 2000 and in 2004. But the difference was not that much in 2004. The NDC is presenting [Prof] Mills again for the third time running.

Ladies and gentlemen, if you are going into an election and you fail to pre-empt the possible propaganda your opponent may employ against you, it will be extremely difficult to win the polls.

Now, any election strategist worth his salt who is also a true party person wants his party to win power, because after all it is power that we need to form a government. Now, we are preparing to go to Congress to elect someone and we should ask ourselves whether the one we are going to elect can win the elections for us. This is where we need to brainstorm. And because the NDC has been worrying us with the Akan-party issue, we need to be cautious.

In 1956 there was a national election in this country and that time [Dr. Kwame] Nkrumah and his CPP were there. After the elections the Northern People’s Party won 15 seats in the then Parliament, whereas the National Liberation Movement (NLM) which was predominantly [Akans] Ashantis, Akyems, Kwahus and the rest had 12, while the Gas and Ewes had 6.

Then, it came to a point that all these parties needed to present a united front. And so when it came to choosing a leader, the group with the largest seats in Parliament which was the Northern People’s Party should have put forward their leader as the leader of the United Party (UP).

However, Dr. K. A. Busia, whose party had 12 seats, was rather given the nod to lead the United Party. Later, Dr. Nkrumah wanted to arrest Busia and so we asked Busia to leave the country. Before Busia left the country, are you listening to me? Before you go into the elections, you must know your history. You must know how election is done and how you can win or lose an election.

And so when Busia left, S. D. Dombo was asked to act in Busia’s place. Meanwhile, S. D. Dombo did a very brilliant thing in this history. That is, when he was asked to step in for Busia, he did not adopt the name; LEADER and as soon as Busia returned, he handed over to Busia.

For a person who entered into the unity deal with the biggest share, he allowed Busia, an Akan, who came into the alliance with 12 seats to lead the Progress Party. Same tradition! The same tradition.

After this came the 1979 elections. This time too Victor Owusu, another Akan insisted that, he leads the party into that election. That time there was this noble man from the North by name Alhaji Yakubu Tali, Tolon Na, who everyone admitted should be made the compromise candidate. But Victor Owusu strongly objected to this and insisted that he leads the party into that election.

As a result, there was a split in the party, resulting in UNC and PFP. PFP was led by Victor Owusu, an Akan while UNC was also led by William Ofori Atta, another Akan.

Yakubu Tali, from the northern sector, who should have been the leader, was not.

It is all these that the NDC have piled as their propaganda waiting to use against the NPP. And indeed, we could not win. We rather lost; Limann defeated us.

And so some brilliant politicians of the PFP era joined the CPP. One was the father of the Second Lady, Imoro Egala, who sat down with Krobo Adusei and decided that someone from the northern area who is unknown be presented to defeat the PFP. That was why they presented Limann and he won. But, if Alhaji Tali, Tolon Na, had been pitched against Limann, Alhaji Tali would defeat Limann. However, we rushed and then the party got divided into two and eventually Limann wrestled power from us.

This is very significant in our history. The split of PFP into [PFP and UNC] led to our defeat in the hands of Limann. We don’t want a repeat of that histroy!

At that point in time, if we had used the Tolon Na, we would have won the election.

We moved on and then came 1992. This time too, Prof. Adu Boahen, another Akan led us. After Adu Boahen, J. A. Kufuor, another Akan.

We are not talking about tribal politics! We are talking about the kinds of things that can defeat us! There is no tribalism here. I have a history in this country that I, I am detribalised. That is why when Limann came to power and he wanted to sack a Chief Justice, I personally stood against it. Even my own tribesmen asked me why I was defending an Ewe and I told them that an Ewe is also a Ghanaian. I took the case to the Supreme Court and subsequently won, which made Akpaloo maintain his position. And so, when I am talking, I don’t do tribal politics, that this is north, south etc.

There are certain things, you say it the right way. I am not doing tribal politics but I’m talking about fair play! Politics of understanding and politics that can make you win power.

If you don’t understand power, think about when we were in opposition. You can better understand it if you really cast your minds back to the opposition days.

Now the NDC and other parties are going to claim that we are an Akan party. Can’t we change? This time around we have a sitting Vice President who comes from the northern sector. The most important candidate of all our history. This time, what excuse can we give the NDC and others that we are not an Akan party?

If we have an important candidate coming from a non-Akan area and we can give him the nod, in his hands we should entrust the party into to win all power. After all, that is why we keep saying vote wisely. Some people write the Vote Wisely just for its sake. The vote wisely means if someone comes and gives you money or a gift it means the person loves you and he is coming to buy your conscience and cheat you. But politics is not about things of the heart. It is about the mind, the wisdom to know the person who can win an election.

Alhaji Imoro Egala and Krobo Adusei were intelligent. That was why they were able to strategise and choose someone unknown to beat us in the election. Why? Because, they were wise and therefore able to devise the right strategy.

It is decades ago when NLM and Northern People’s Party united, people whose status were below that of Alhaji Aliu Mahama, and they say please this is not tribal politics, because it is convenient for them to say that.

Why do we have only Akans? I myself, I am a true Akan but I understand politics very well and I understand the way we can win power. And so if at our 22nd December Congress we toy with it, we will fail in 2008.

Now, let me tell you why we have a chance in 2008. The person that we are going to elect should be someone who if we elect this year, can win what we call floating votes in the 2008 elections. If you fail to win the floating votes, you can’t win the elections. Because, as for NPP supporters they will vote for any candidate the party presents and so will NDC supporters etc. And so how can we win the floating voters? But who are the floating voters? Zongos, number one; northern regions number two; and Volta Region number three.

Then, who has the appeal? Nowadays when I read the newspapers I can see some of the aspirants claim they have the appeal, they can win the floating voters. Don’t let them deceive you. Someone who cannot even win an election sits somewhere and takes a title and he doesn’t think about us and all that he wants is that we should select him and that God is there. God doesn’t listen to such prayers.

I don’t talk for talking sake. All those whom I strategised for - Adu Boahen, J. A. Kufuor - all of them I received heavenly inspiration. Aliu Mahama, he didn’t call me. I went to him. Why? Because if we elect him and market him we will win the election.

This afternoon as I sit by him, when people come to greet him, he stands on his feet before greeting them. The man has such humility. Me, I have told him that God lifts up those who humble themselves.

But what is most important to me is that I must say something. That is, this time if NDC will beat us they will beat us into slavery if we don’t think together to elect a non-Akan. And this time it is a non-Akan with a difference!

Apart from the fact that he is a non-Akan, he stands out to be the best candidate. Why? Because, this man is humble, he respects everybody, he is hard working, he is very sober and he has attained a lot of experience in office.

If someone has not sat on the throne as the acting president, can he mount a platform that he is the one who can change the country while he has not been there before?

If you look at it with your heart, you may think we are just playing. No! We want to win 2008 and so we pick somebody that can use our party’s popularity to win over swinging voters for us. Out of the 18 people who are contesting with Aliu Mahama, Akans are about 14, you see, with just one Northerner. And so if they say they will use Akan-party Akan-party against us, let’s be careful, let’s choose a non-Akan.

Additionally, if you are going into such an election with the one who can win the swinging votes, and we have a Zongo-born with us, those who can’t even speak Hausa at all come to you and says I want to be elected. Is this right?

Sometimes when they talk so much I just look at them. Do they love you or think about themselves alone? Somebody who is a Zaage Zongo descent, he can bring the Zongo votes for us to win the 2008 election.

Now, he is the only candidate from the northern sector where the swinging votes are.

“You see, some Akans are saying his [Aliu] people will not vote for him. If his people will not vote for him are you the one they will vote for? You, who don’t even know there and when there is a funeral and other incidents you don’t even care, are you the one to get their votes? Such useless talks! I look at them with pity and they want to be heads of state and they keep lying. How do you think about all these?”

Excuse me to say, if Voltarians are voting, they don’t vote for Akans. They know the difference. If you know history and study the statistics, they vote where the northerners vote. So we have one choice for 2008. Now, there is a particular song that I love so much and wherever I am, it keeps ringing in my mind. That song should inspire all of us; God, he knows what is good for you. I’m coming to sing that song and anyone here who knows how to sing should help me because the words are heavy. God knows that today what is good for us is Aliu.