By Margaret Jackson
June 5, 2012
The campaign season is gradually heating up and it is very clear that the NPP can never win the 2012 elections if the NDC goes to the polls in December 7 united. That is why the NPP folks have been salivating anytime anybody from the NDC family steers off course and rattles the NDC. Otherwise, how can Nana Akomea, NPPs Communications Director, whose party banned the anniversary celebrations of the June 4 Movement under Kufuor’s regime, now criticize the NDC government for working with some chiefs in the Aflao Traditional Area to scamper this year’s anniversary celebration of the June 4 Movement.
Why would the anniversary celebration of the June 4 Movement bother the NPP so much for Nana Akomea to comment about it, when it is the same NPP folks who have stated time and again that the June 4 Movement is an illegal organization? It is because of the political windfall that would generate to the NPP if Mr. JJ Rawlings went bananas and disparaged the NDC during the rally hence the fierce support of the June 4 rally by the NPP folks.
Just look at the excitement which emanated from the NPP camp days before Rawlings addressed the June 4 rally at Aflao on Sunday. There were so many rumours from the NPP camp before the address that Rawlings was going to use the rally to disintegrate the NDC by announcing the formation of a new party. Others also alluded that Rawlings will use the occasion to bolt from the NDC party. Therefore the NPP folks were thrown into a stream of disappointment when none of what they were thinking happened at the June 4 rally at Aflao.
This goes to reinforce my assertion that there is no way the NPP can coast to victory if they campaign on their so-called achievements under Kufuor and the open lies of Akufo-Addo, other than working behind the scenes to see the NDC battered, disjointed and divided before we go to the polls in December 7. That is why the NPP folks have become cheerleaders to anybody from the NDC camp who jumps the fray and jabs the NDC, thinking that, that is their best campaign weapons for this year’s elections. Have you seen why Rawlings, Nana Konadu, Teye Nyaunu, Kofi Adams and lately Martin Amidu have all become the darling trophies of the NPP? Let any of the aforementioned cough and see how they dominate the headlines of the NPP rented press.
Having read through the intensions of the NPP, I would advice members of the NDC going forward to look at the bigger picture and their biggest threat, which is the NPP. The NDC family has every reason to be concerned by the machinations of the NPP which is all aimed at throwing them off their campaign message and eventually dislodge them from power.
I would urge the NDC family especially the foot-soldiers to leave the Rawlingses alone. Rawlings is not running for president in December 7, 2012. Neither is Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings. It is Nana Akufo-Addo. Therefore, the target of the campaign must be no other person than Akufo-Addo. He must be the focus, with the NDC campaign message and strategy geared towards him and his NPP folks.
The NDC loses focus and precious time if its campaign strategy is not geared towards the punching of holes in Akufo-Addo’s hollow rhetoric. Of course many members of the NDC family are not happy with the constant bashings by the Rawlingses, but the bigger fish and target of the 2012 elections is Akufo-Addo. It is a fact that anytime the NDC family spends time trying to counter what the Rawlingses say or do, it makes the NDC lose focus, gives the NPP new ammunitions; makes the NDC disjointed and finally makes the NDC to forget the bigger target - Akufo-Addo.
The 2012 elections is just around the corner, therefore, the NDC cannot afford to do the unthinkable by allowing other issues that have no bearing on the campaign to dissuade them or throw them off message. Now is the time for the NDC to put its act together and strike where the iron is hot. They should never think that time is on their side. The party has a lot of grass to cover and many fences to mend. The party members may be deceiving themselves if they ever think they still have more time.
It is time for the NDC family to put its internal bickering behind and move to a campaign mode with one voice. The NDC party has seen enough wrangling and what should make its leadership and members happy is the party’s ability to withstand all these problems which did not tear the party apart.
http://majjacks80.blogspot.com magjackson80@yahoo.com
