This is why Akufo-Addo remains unattractive to the voters

By Dr. Michael J.K. Bokor

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Folks, truth be told, the NPP's Akufo-Addo seems to know right now that he is on a wild goose chase. He has a lot to fear. That is why he is telling his party members that they have only 6 months to do whatever they can to ensure his victory at Election 2016.

And what are they doing? Nothing to attract voters to their cause. Instead of going to the people with convincing messages on how they will solve Ghana's problems, they are investing all their resources in scare-mongering. They have become political scarecrows, stirring up tension wherever they go.

What they are doing won't put them in power whether the voters register is renewed or not. The more they stress violence and waste their resources reaching out to the international community, the more they alienate voters. Ghana is capable of solving problems of the sort that the NPP is bothering the international community with. Not to Akufo-Addo.

When he beat retreat to spend about six months in London after the Supreme Court had confirmed and reinforced his humiliation at Election 2012, he did so with a clear plan to outwit his NPP camp into choosing him again for Election 2016.

Deceiving them that he was waiting to be touched by the hand of God to determine his next line of action---and that when he saw the face of God he would know whether to go for a third bid at the Presidency---some of us laughed him to scorn a lot because we knew what he had up his sleeves.

When he returned to announce that he would seek the flagbearership of the NPP, we laughed him to scorn again. After all, hasn't Kwame Pianim told us that any fool can bear or carry a party's flag to general elections?

We knew that Akufo-Addo hadn't learnt anything new with which to improve his electoral chances. Truly, he has confirmed our opinions and ratcheted up his rogue politics to the extent as to tear his own NPP apart.

One major lesson that he failed to learn after his trouncing is how not to inflame passions and instigate buffoonery and street demonstrations by those he has held captive as his ardent supporters.

Beyond that, he hasn't learnt to do politics without scaring the citizens. In effect, he still doesn't know that one major factor that caused his electoral loss at Election 2012 was his infamous "All-die-be-die" war cry, especially as reinforced by Kennedy Agyapong for Asantes to kill Ewes and Gas.

Folks, the kind of politics being done by Akufo-Addo makes him really a scarecrow. He is mongering fear among the public and creating the impression that Election 2016 will definitely be Ghana's Waterloo if he loses. And lose he will at all costs!!

What we hear from him and his staunch defenders is about violence in Ghana; and they are basing everything on the voters register. The hapless Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey has already hyped that threat of violence.

Just today, Akufo-Addo confirmed that NPP agenda of turning the country upside down. He is making wild claims that he has incontrovertible evidence that Election 2016 will be rigged. As reported, he has said that the country will not know peace if the voters register is not renewed and Election 2016 is based on it.

Here are a few excerpts from his scaremongering escapade:

1. "As Africans, we have witnessed election related violence tear countries apart, we know what we risk should these problems not be resolved”;

2. "... the global community must intervene in order to avert crisis in the West African country come next year"; and

3. “The hope is that the global community takes notice and urges change before the elections rather than looking back at the 2016 elections; shaking their heads and asking ‘how did this happen’; we are telling you exactly how it’s going to happen,” (See http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/2016-elections-will-be-rigged-Akufo-Addo-388895).

MY REACTION

I want someone close to Akufo-Addo whose voice he respects to tell him that the violence that he is leading his followers to instigate will swallow him up first even before it erupts to engulf the country when he loses Election 2016.

Those who think that some of us hate him should step on his toes to tell him that we will definitely be proactive enough to nail him where he belongs at the slightest sign of the violence that he is busily wasting time instigating. He is not a difficult target to hit and should be told aboveboard.

Beyond this point, he should be told that the more he opens his mouth to talk trash instead of saying what will entice the voters, the more he deepens the gulf between him and the electorate. The more he wastes time and resources making provocative utterances, the more he dims his own light. The more he stirs up tension, the more despicable he becomes to the voters.

Anybody who comes across this way won't win the hearts and minds of the voters; he can't win elections. He has already muddied his own waters and will be forced to swim in mud. Let's see what progress he can make.

Beyond that point, he needs to be told that his "Rice and Beans" tour of the country exposed more negative aspects of him, which President Mahama's version of regional tours is profiting from. Has Akufo-Addo yet heard what the Paramount Chief of Kukurantumi told President Mahama? Or what some in the Western and Central Regions said to him?

Has he heard this one from the Sunyani chief (Nana Bosoma) that the Brong-Ahafo area would give President Mahama 80% of votes? Or that those in other regions promising 50% should do more to raise the quantum? Why so? Because they know what President Mahama is worth to Ghana. (See: http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Sunyani-chief-promises-80-more-votes-for-Mahama-388921).

Although our chiefs may be flouting the constitutional restraint against their participation in partisan politics, what some of them are saying is irrepressible---if not irresistible---because they know the difference between President Mahama and characters of Akufo-Addo's type.

We will not be so narrow-minded as to accept the chiefs' claims on their face value and expect them to be fulfilled by the electorate; but we will note them as positive developments in a situation where President Mahama continues to reach out successfully to the people. He doesn't scare anybody nor is he fixated on winning elections at all costs!!

Folks, we have already noted that the more Akufo-Addo opens his mouth to talk trash, the more he erodes public interest in him. Let him think we are deceived in seeing him that way. He will be shocked at what Election 2016 will fetch for him.

Before then, if the EC decides not to renew the voters register, let him lead his gang of lawless followers to misbehave. Then, where there is no meat, we shall place MUD there (As my mother would put it).

At his age, if he thinks that violence is what will place him in power, let him stir it up. Such a sore loser and despicable character won't be my country's President!! If he attempts pulling the plug, he will do so at his own risk.

I shall return…

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