Twice- defeated NPP Presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, suffered a memory loss at the Georgia Hotel in Kumasi on Saturday when he claimed that Ghana has 230 Members of Parliament. Memory loss is often associated with old age.
The memory loss reportedly sent chills down the spines of delegates gathered at the hotel because it confirms the fears of many that he is suffering from health related problems associated with old age.
Supporters of his rivals within the party have spared no effort in reminding delegates that he is too old to lead the party into the 2016 elections. Coupled with years of drug abuse (confirmed by wikileaks), they fear that his mind and body cannot take on the rigours of an electioneering campaign especially against a far younger candidate who is the incumbent.
His supporters, however, have pointed to the likes of Former Senegalese President, Abdoulaye Wade, Ivorian President Alassane Ouattara and Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe as evidence that old age must not be a factor in deciding who President of Ghana becomes. However, when a man’s memory begins to fail him two long years before elections are held, it definitely will be of concern. It may explain why firstly, the motley crowd listening to Akufo Addo at the Georgia Hotel suddenly went silent when he mentioned 230 as the number of MPs Ghana has to buttress his argument that if that number can make laws for Ghana, then the 740 delegates who voted for him in the NPP’s just ended Super-delegates’ congress is enough to make him President of Ghana.
The memory loss Akufo-Addo suffered resulted in his not remembering that 45 new constituencies were created in the run-up to the 2012 elections as a result of which Ghana currently has 275 Members of Parliament.
While the party’s propagandists are ready to defend the memory loss to the hilt, insiders have told this paper that many are worried that Akufo-Addo may be displaying the adverse signs of old age which may not be a good thing for the party.
“Of course we are worried. For a man who is so politically active to forget the number of MPs Ghana has at the moment speaks volumes. It is a serious matter we cannot gloss over. We cannot hide it. Soon, we will have to confront this issue” a senior member of the party who pleaded anonymity for obvious reason told this paper.
Present at the event at the Georgia Hotel where Akufo-Addo went canvasing for votes ahead of the party’s October 18, 2014 congress were Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the twice defeated Vice-Presidential Candidate of the NPP, Hon. Osei Kyei-Mensa-Bonsu, Minority Leader in Parliament and MP for Suame; F.F. Anto, 3rd National NPP Vice Chairman; Hon. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto, MP for Kwadaso; Hon. Isaac Asiamah, MP for Atwima Mponua; Hon. Elizabeth Agyeman, Chairperson of NPP parliamentary caucus from the Ashanti region and MP for Oforikrom; Hon. Osei Assibey Antwi, former deputy Regional Minister; Stephen Ntim, former NPP 1st National Vice Chairman; Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, former General Secretary of the NPP; Dr. Nsiah Asare, former CEO of Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital as well as some regional executives and constituency chairmen.
