Re: Economist’s Poll Analysis is a Tossup

By Nana Akyea Mensah

A Rejoinder to: “Economist’s Poll Analysis is a Tossup”, by Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr.

What is significant about the UK-based Economist Intelligence Unit predicting “a slim victory for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), if the 2012 general elections were held today” lies in the fact that instead of spending his time campaigning like a responsible person canvassing for votes by showing us what he can do if voted into power, Nana Akufo-Addo has been going around pretending he is so popular that unless he kills a few Ghanaians, he will be cheated in the elections, hence “all die be die” in 2012, since “we Akans are not cowards”!

This is the nonsense. We all know that the Economist prediction stated clearly the fact that “if the 2012 general elections were held today” the NDC would win. We understand that very well. What we fail to understand is the claim by Akufo-Addo that he is so popular that if he does not win the elections, the only explanation ought to be cheating! Coming from someone who is not known to have ever conceded defeat even in an openly contested free and fair elections, this is clearly a threat to peace in Ghana. This is why Akufo-Addo must come again.

And here, I wish to repeat a point I made earlier on an article Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr. will not dare to touch on:

“This is my first major “dufument” of Kwame Okoampa-Ahoofe, Jr., as we approach the 2012 electoral year, and he begins to churn out more nonsense, and playing the drum major in the drums of war in Ghana we shall have the time to explain that Nana Akufo-Addo chances of winning any elections were even brighter in 2008 than they are today. Independent predictions like UK-based Economist Intelligence Unit is predicting a slim victory for the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), if the 2012 general elections were held today. This has sent the signals to the business community, effectively enhancing the authority and prestige of the man to deal with in the foreseeable future as far as Ghana is concerned.

This impression that President Mills is no lame duck administration probably explains some of the international curtsies and diplomatic strength the Mills Administration is enjoying currently. I was not surprised at the speed with which the Executive Board of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) unanimously endorsed a limit of US$3.4 billion on non-concessional borrowing for Ghana, just as an example, to the utter shock and chagrin of Otchere-Darko and his friends, including Akufo-Addo. It is against this background that I wish to wonder aloud, just what does Akufo-Addo mean by all-die-be-die because, somehow, someone is determined to rig the elections to deny him of victory? Who born dog? Who dash frog coat?”

We all know how Akufo-Addo handled the allegations of substance abuse that simply wont go away. After threatening to take legal action, they have woefully failed to bring any person to the courts, whilst they make ridiculous attempts to whitewash him. The funniest of them all was a report that Nana had been examined by a medical officer who found out that there was not a drop of cocaine in his blood. And who might that “medical officer” be? Answer: Dr. Arthur Kobinah Kennedy! And how did he examine him? Answer: With his bare eyes! The Wikileaks revelation that “Nana likes to 'wake and bake' first thing in the morning!” was the coup de grace! It even led former President Kufour to appeal to the Ghanaian voter: “Do not judge Akufo-Addo by his past!”

You are even more unpopular than you were in 2008 when you lost. President Mills has even become more popular when it became apparent that he was not going to be a “poodle of Rawlings” as the Akufo-Addo camp had falsely predicted. He has the advantage of incumbency. He has a sounder academic background, and has displayed sound judgement in resisting Ghana being compelled into war with La Cote d'Ivoire, as Akufo-Addo and Okoampa and co stupidly insisted.

Akufo-Addo was not surprised that he lost the 2008 Presidential elections. He had already been warned about it by Professor Larry Gibson in advance! Yet he was able to pretend that he could have won if his "numerous" supporters in the Volta Region had been allowed to vote! I think there is no need to wait for Akufo-Addo to lose to find out whether or not he is going to accept the results. I think he is automatically going to cry foul, even though his chances this time are even slimmer than the last time around!

From their own admissions, the Akufo-Addo campaign is not going well at all. In his recent article, Gabby Asare, the author, who is also the Executive Director of the Akufo-Addo PR-team known as "the Danquah Institute" admits that the NDC deserves "some credit for even succeeding in putting the opposition on the defensive much of the time." See: "Negative Campaign In Ghana And Lessons From .....", Feature Article of Saturday, 8 October 2011, Otchere-Darko. So, how can a relatively unpopular candidate, doomed to lose to the incumbent, blame his obvious unpopularity and inevitable defeat to cheating? That is the million-dollar question!

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"To all men of goodwill, organize, organize, organize! The struggle is far from over! We prefer self-government in danger, to servitude in tranquillity!

Forward ever, backward never"!

Nana Akyea Mensah, The Odikro.