If one sentence could describe Nana Akufo Addo, it will be arrogance and the perception of entitlement to be president. With the exception of President Kufour, who accepted the result of the 1996 elections, and turnout to be the most successful leader in the Dankwah/Busia tradition, the NPP has never accepted the legitimate will of Ghanaians. In 1992 when the party lost by over 20 points in the Presidential election, Nana Akufo Addo lead charge in writing The Stolen Verdict to delegitimize the Rawlings government even though the NPP knew from their heart of heart that there was no way they could win an election against a very popular incumbent head of state.
It took Dr. Afri Gyan, the Chairman of the Electoral Commission of Ghana, to correct that perception and set the records straight. In an interview with Joy FM after the 2008 election he reflected on the 1992 election and told Kojo Oppong Nkrumah that the NPP had lost 1992 election fairly and that it was unbecoming of the NPP to reject result of that election without going court to prove their case. President Mills had lost two elections and in both times he accepted the result as a mandate for his opponent and moved on. In the 2004 election, the NDC had problems with the results and how the election was organized. The party could evoke the passions of it supporters by openly challenging the result in the court of public opinion and thus create unnecessary tension in the country. But like Kufour did in 1996, Mills did not travel along that dirty road. He accepted the result of the election and worked to quiet the negative sentiment within the party for the good of the country.
The decision did not go down well with some NDC apparatchiks, but it was the right thing to do; prove, he was rewarded with a victory in 2008 against a well finance and resourced Nana Akufo Addo campaign. There are some within the NPP who are still perplexed by their party’s lost of the last elections. They do not understand why despite all the advantages they still lost in 2008. Well, the reason is simple; your candidate is arrogant and thinks he is custom made for the Presidency. When it became very obvious that Nana had lost in 2008, the conventional wisdom was that he would accept the result and congratulate Professor Mills. Given that he tinted himself as a firm believer in democracy and the rule of law. But Nana did not do that, rather during the second round of election he activated his plan B, connive with some in the Ashanti Region to inflate voting numbers as they come in, putting the nation on the verge of a nervous breakdown.
After the voting was over and again it became very apparent that he had lost the election and many Ghanaian were in church thanking God for averting a civil war. Nana instructed his lawyers to activate their plan C on a Sunday afternoon, file an ex parte motion in court restraining the Electoral Commission from declaring the result of a legitimately held election, how desperate!!! Why should Ghanaians vote for someone who had fought their mandate every step of the way?
Events of the last election have proven beyond doubt that Nana Akufo Addo is not qualified to be President. He lacks the temperament and class needed to be the Chief Executive and Head of State of the Republic of Ghana. Besides, his personal character is in doubt. He still did not call Kofi Wayo’s bluff by subjecting himself to a drug test and put the issue of his drug use to rest. Absent the drug test, voting for Nana Addo is a huge gamble and in the era of drug trafficking we can’t afford to have a president who is an addict of illicit drugs.
Ghanaians are modest and level headed people. We respect humility and reward people who have proven to be humble. Humility and respect are two features Kufour and Mills have in common. Kufour won in 2000 by showing Ghanaians he is gentle and humble. Kufour portrayed a fatherly figure that made him look responsible. He accepted the verdict of Ghanaians in 1996 and by so doing respected their will. His reward? Two terms in office. Mills did the same. He defined himself as a peaceful and humble person in 2004. Against his party, he accepted the result of the 2004 election.
He portrayed the same characteristics in 2008. He won against all odds. If NPP wants to regain power it is better to have someone who understands the thinking of Ghanaians. Someone humble like Kufour was. Nana Akufo Addo won’t do it.
He had already defined himself negatively.
Abdul Sidibe agolumusah@yahoo.com
