-But says should step aside for Alan
The Chairman of the New Jersey, U.S.A, branch of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Attah Boamah, has commended Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, NPP 2008 presidential candidate, for his contribution to the cause of the party and democracy in the country.
He, however, believes his contribution does not offer enough justification for his desire to seek re-election to become the party’s presidential candidate for the 2012 election.
Nana Akufo-Addo is widely tipped to win the party’s presidential primary slated for August, this year.
His supporters believe he is the best person to lead the NPP to victory in the 2012 elections, citing the over 49 per cent votes he obtained in the previous election he lost to the incumbent President Mills among other reasons to support their position.
But, others, including Nana Attah Boamah, who supports his closest challenger, Alan Kyermaten, think Nana has paid his dues, and should therefore pave the way for youthful Alan to return the party to victory in 2012.
Speaking from his base in U.S in reaction to an article by this reporter, which had predicted victory for Nana Addo, Nana Boaman insisted: “Yes, Nana has done great, but his time is over. He lost the 2008 elections and he is now old. By 2012 he will be 72. We need new blood so Nana should allow Alan to go and offer him the support to win just as he did for President Kufuor in 2000.”
Nana Boamah’s view on the age factor runs contrary to the view held by Boniface Gambilla, former Upper East Regional Minister, who believes the party needs “somebody with quality mental age and not chronological age.”
According to Nana Boamah, Nana Akufo-Addo lost the 2008 elections “because he did not do his home work well”, advising him to rather “sit down as an elder of the party and offer ideas for Alan to win the elections.”
Reacting to suggestions that majority of the party’s delegates seem to be on the side of Nana, this is what the African Commissioner in the City of Newark, had to say: “Majority of the delegates are blind-folded; all that they say is that ‘it is his time’; the delegates don’t know what they are doing.”
He urged the delegates to weigh the options available to them well, and go for youthful Alan Kyerematen, a decision he insists “will be in the party’s interest”.
On the current confusion in the party, Nana Boamah blamed it on pursuit of personal interest, insisting that “people like Dan Botwe and Kwabena Agyapong are all serving their own personal interest.”
He believes the solution to the problem lies in the hands of Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, NPP National Chairman. “He has to call both sides and let them understand the rules and punish those who will go contrary to the rules.”
Nana Boamah further exhorted the leaders of the various groupings in the party to “kick out the recalcitrant people from their campaign,”
