President Kufour shows his true colours

It has come as a surprise to many that after the National Executive Committee of the New Patriotic Party took the decision to suspend Paul Afoko, two key personnel from the stable of former President, John Agyekum Kufuor, have led personalised attacks against the party’s 2016 flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo.

Instead of addressing the numerous misconducts of Paul Afoko, who, since being elected in May 2014, has shown that his ‘New Plan for Power’ mantra was actually ‘No Plan for Power’, Andrew Awuni and Frank Agyekum, spokesperson of President Kufuor, just decided to destroy Nana Akufo-Addo, and paint him black to the Ghanaian electorate.

Proponents within the party, again from the stable of President Kufuor, who have always clamoured for ‘party structures’ to work are the ones now castigating the structures of the party and pointing accusing fingers against the flag bearer of the party.

Throughout this brouhaha, President Kufuor has not deemed it fit to reprimand these two individuals, one of them being his spokesperson and the other being a former Presidential Staffer in charge of press relations.

Indeed, President Kufuor has not uttered a word. Do we then take it that President Kufuor sanctioned the attacks by his spokesperson on Nana Akufo-Addo? Well, I believe so. President Kufuor okayed the attacks on Nana Akufo-Addo, because of the sheer hatred he has for him.

A little historical perspective will do.

There has always been the suspicion that former President John Agyekum Kufuor has held one grudge or the other against Nana Akufo-Addo. It is no secret that the former President has never liked Nana Akufo-Addo and preferred that Alan Kyerematen would be his successor, the man in whom he is well pleased.

President Kufuor never understood why Nana Akufo-Addo contested him in 1998, and never forgave him for that. Despite Nana Akufo-Addo efforts, well documented through his campaign for Kufuor, in helping to secure victory in the 2000 elections, President Kufuor resolved to pay him back by ensuring that Akufo-Addo never won the 2007 NPP presidential primaries, let alone him becoming President of Ghana and, as it were, marching his record.

At the time and through his chief henchman, Paul Afoko, every appointee of government who dared support Nana Akufo-Addo was fired. Even his own Vice President, the late Aliu Mahama, was not spared.

Singlehandedly, Paul Afoko was tasked with pinpointing and dismissing all District Chief Executives from the 3 Northern Regions who supported the late Alhaji Aliu Mahama.

The government machinery was put at the beck and call of Alan Kyerematen. Despite these machinations, his choice in whom he was well pleased, Alan Kyerematen, was well beaten by Nana Akufo-Addo in 2007.

Alan Kyerematen’s defeat worsened in 2010, and Nana Akufo-Addo was well on his way to becoming the President of Ghana in 2012. We all know the story of what happened in the 2012 election and in the election petition that ensued afterwards. In spite of the two losses by Nana Akufo-Addo, the grassroots of the NPP still rooted for Akufo-Addo to be given a third crack at the Presidency.

An Akufo-Addo victory has always been seen by President Kufuor as victory for Dr. Bawumia. Alan Kyerematen will be out of the picture and this ‘Johnny Just Come’ in the person of Bawumia will succeed Akufo-Addo.

So what did Kufuor and his team do? Simple! They ensure Paul Afoko and Kwabena Agyepong, two men who have also never hidden their hatred for Akufo-Addo, emerged victorious as Chairman and General Secretary of the NPP, respectively.

Ever since these two personalities entered the fray, the NPP has never known peace. Their mission was simple, make the NPP unattractive to the Ghanaian voting populace, inundate Akufo-Addo’s time with confusion left, right and centre, and make sure he cannot concentrate on delivering power. And my, did they do a stunning job. The NPP has always been in the news for all the wrong reasons under the tenure of the Afoko-led National executive.

Wondered why anytime Akufo-Addo is on the road, negative news is always generated in Accra? Akufo-Addo decides to embark on a tour of Europe, and barely 5 days into his trip, the NPP Chairman for the Upper East Region is murdered allegedly by the brother of the Paul Afoko.

Again, Akufo-Addo embarks on his Arise and Build tour of the country and on the day he is slated to be in the Ashanti Region, Afoko decides to steal the headlines by decided to launch NPP membership cards in Ashanti.

Lest we forget, Kufuor calls Akufo-Addo, Paul Afoko, Kwabena Agyepong and the top brass of NPP leaders into a meeting at his residence in Airport. The meeting is leaked to the papers belonging to the NDC’s rented press, and all the reportage from the meeting is skewed at making sure Akufo-Addo looks bad.

Akufo-Addo has never, for a single day, been given the opportunity to concentrate on his campaign. Why?

From the likes of Arthur Kennedy, Nyaho Tamakloe, Dr Wireko Brobbey, to the newly found apostles including Edward Ennin, Akwasi Nti, Chief Obossu, Davis Opoku Ansah, Harold Boateng, Freeman Danquah, Hansel Boakye and Baah Acheamfuor, these attack dogs of President Kufuor, instead of attacking the NDC, have always been pouring invectives on Akufo-Addo, all because their tin god, Alan Kyerematen, is not leading the NPP. And they will not relent on their attacks.

With barely 12 months to the 2016 general election, the attacks on Akufo-Addo by these so-called NPP members will only increase.

The message to President Kufuor and those who think like him is simple.

The NPP has stayed in opposition for 30 years before and we don’t care if it happens again.

If you don’t want Akufo-Addo to be President and you want to pull him down and make sure he doesn’t succeed, remember that what goes around comes around. If Akufo-Addo does not succeed, neither Alan Kyerematen, Paul Afoko, nor Kwabena Agyepong, will never succeed or lead in the NPP.

And that is a fact!

That’s the simple message to them.

Written By: Kwasi Hamilton

Aggrieved NPP supporter