The national executive of the NEW PATRIOTIC PARTY consist of people from diverse background.
Hafsa Otiko Djaba is it's national women's orgarnizer; Alhaji Muktar Bamba:national orgarnizer; Anthony Abeyifa karbo:former national youth orgarnizer;TB Damba:3rd vice chairman; Jake Otanka Obetsebi Lamptey:national chairman etc. None of those mentioned here are Akans, but yet still the divide and rule tacticians never rest on their oars in their mischievous agenda to tag the NPP, as an Akan party.
The late Victor Owusu, in the 3rd repulican presidential elections chose Tolon-Na as his running mate on the ticket of the popular Front Party(PFP).
In 1992,the presidential candidate of the NPP,The late professor,emeritus Albert Adu-Boahene chose alhaji Issifu Alhassan as his running mate. I admire the late Adu-Boahene for his courageous statement that broke the culture of silence after decades of Rawlings's draconian rule.
In the J.B Dankwah's memorial lectures in 1988, I paraphrase the late distinguished historian, the professor Emeritus of History of the university of Ghana, Albert Adu Boahen this way, 'The PNDC was an illegitimate regime which had stolen Ghanaian's God-given right to choose who should rule them'. He stated that the PNDC's democratic experiment had been an exercise in futility which had only led to bloodshed, ethnic divisions, human rights abuse and stagnation of development'.
In 1996, it was the so called great alliance which disarmed J.A Kufour from picking a Muslim and a Northerne as a running mate.
In the 2000 elections, JA Kufour chose the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama, (may Allah have mercy on his soul) as his running mate who made history as the first ever muslim vice president of the nation. And the ticket was repeated in 2004 elections successfuly. In the government of J.A Kufour, personalities such as Rashid Bawa, Professor Kassim Kasanga, Bonniface Abubakar Sadik, Muktar Bamba, Prince Imoro Andani, the late Mustapha Ali Iddris, the late Hawa Yakubu, Hajia Alima, Ambruce Derry, Kofi Adda, Agambila, etc.all non Akans, served as government ministers.
Then came the NPP's 2007 presidential primaries which Nana Addo emerged victorious. Before the dust of the primaries could settle, The NDC ethnocentric tacticians grabbed another opportunity to ochestrate their political mischief when the late vice president, Alhaji Aliu Mahama failed to win the presidential ticket of the NPP. In their fallacious and mediocre tendencies, they claimed that the late vice president, Ahaji Aliu Mahama was rejected by the delegates because he was not an Akan. Unlike the NDC Which has the undemocratic luxury of the right to handpick a candidate, the NPP is too democratic to impose the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama on the party by virtue of being a vice president to the NPP government.
The NPP constitution does not guarantee any individual nor group of people the monopoly to impose a flag bearer on the party. In any case, the NPP have delegates from the Zongo and the three Northern Regions. And they could have team up to vote for the former vice president, Alhaji Aliu Mahama, but they were too discerning and rational to vote on ethnic and religious lines at the expense of competence and sacrifice.
Nana Addo chose Dr. Mahmud Bawumiah as his running mate, not only to balance the regional, ethnic, and religious equation but also on the basis of competence.
If Dr. Bawumiah should continue to work hard for the party as he has been doing, the NPP delegates who have the penchant for rewarding hard work and loyalty will in the near future reward him with a presidential ticket to shame the ethnocentric experts in the NDC. I state this with all honesty. The irrational and illogical attack from my critics emboldens me to keep on enlightening them with the little that I know. Just like Confucious,"I do not murmur against God, and I bear no ill will towards man. I search below, I penetrate above. He who knows me is God".
Tanko Ali Yahaya. Independent Minded Zongorians. skiliwonda@gmail.com
