You know your presidential candidate is gradually losing Election 2016;
• When the Candidate's votes keep depreciating from 49.13% (2008 first round) to 48% (2008 second round), and to 47.74% in 2012. If it were in economics, the "Law of Diminishing Presidential Votes" would be propounded.
. When the Candidate struggles to win maintain even two (2) out of the ten (10) regions in the country.
• When the Candidate cannot win more than just 57% of the total valid votes from his own home region as done by his predecessors. The Candidate even lost six (6) polling stations in his Constituency.
• When the Candidate has not mapped up any strategies to win the next election, but relies on phantom sympathy votes just because he thinks he had accepted Supreme Court verdict.
• When the Candidate argues that, the late Prof. Mills won on his third attempt so he too could win on his third attempt. Whether he is now called Prof. 'Nana' Mills or not, nobody can tell.
• When the Candidate's supporters shower praises like; "He is the most popular, experienced, incorruptible , and marketed politician", "W'abr3 wo party yi ho', "Y3nim wo firi tete" etc, yet he has not been able to beat any of the two NDC Candidates he had competed with. He only knows how to win NPP flag-bearership, but when it comes to National Elections, he is found wanting.
• When the Candidate and supporters still think that both 2008 and 2012 elections were stolen by Afari Gyan and his Electoral Commission as if he did not have polling agents around. How many NPP members went home after voting? We all stood there and observed things. If you can't protect our votes, why do you lead the party into elections at all?
• When the Candidate's centres his personal achievements on the organization of 'Kumepreko' demonstration and fighting against Acheampong's military rule. What compensation was given to the four people who died when the person became Minister of Justice and Attorney-General? Where was the person when Rawlings ruled Ghana for 11 years as a military leader? Democracy is not a game of boxing, else Bukom Banku and Ayittey Powers might fight for a medal.
• When the Candidate presents a list of his preferred Candidates to NPP delegates with the view to getting them elected into office during the party's national elections in Tamale. On what moral authority does the Candidate have to work with the new NPP leadership he campaigned against in Tamale?
• When the Candidate fails to condemn divisive and provocative utterances like; "No Nana, No Vote"; "Alan should run as an independent candidate if he thinks he is popular among floating voters", "Kufuor's 'wicked' policies cost the NPP victory in 2008", "A prominent chief took bribes for the Judges " etc.
• When the Candidate's supporters verbally attack the two most influential personalities - Otumfuo and Kufuor, in NPP's stronghold, whilst the Candidate feels comfortable with it.
• When the Candidate has surrounded himself with some 'Mafias' from his home region, and hijacking the party as if it is their personal property.
• When the Candidate who was beaten by NDC Candidate by 323,663 votes using only three months, wishes to compete with the same NDC Candidate, who doubles as an incumbent president. How possible is this?
• When the Candidate who believed in floating votes in 1998, now turns around to debunk the same floating votes in 2014, but surprisingly banks his hopes on sympathy votes. This is what he said in 1998: "NPP must elect a leader who has appeal outside the party and could reach out to the larger electorate and that if it fails to do this, power could once again elude it" - DAILY GRAPHIC, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 8,1998. Page 11.
• When the Candidate wrongly assumes that the present economic hardships and mismanagement could win him the 2016 elections outright, forgetting that elections in Ghana have never been based on policy, but rather, tribe, character assassination, and personality traits.
• When the Candidate has consistently sidelined people who compete with him in the primaries regardless of the potentials of his fellow competitors. What special role was assigned the following people in Election 2012 - Hon. Alan Kyerematen. Prof. Frimpong-Boateng, Hon. Isaac Osei, and Pastor Kwame Koduah?
• When the Candidate after leading a formidable party like the NPP for over six years cannot account for over 150 party vehicles and Campaign funds. Where are the party cars?
• When the Candidate allows his loyalists to harass, intimidate, verbally and physically assault perceived political opponents within the party as well as party elders like Mr. Kwadwo Mpiani.
• When the Candidate cannot tolerate dissenting views by using the party structures to suspend and sideline well-meaning members like Dr. Wireko Brobbey, the true organiser of 'Kumepreko', Dr. Arthur Kennedy, Dr. Nyaho Tamakloe, Kwame Pianim.
• When the Candidate has failed to collate all his votes on the 26,002 pink sheets to enable Ghanaians know the total number of his votes as against Mahama so that it can be compared with what Dr. Afari Gyan declared. This will help determine the number of votes actually "stolen" as being alleged.
• When the Candidate's character is always attacked by the NDC propagandists leaving the Candidate's supporters to always defend him instead of selling the party's campaign message.
• When the Candidate campaigns on a single message - free SHS even in areas where the free SHS is already in existence. Remember, one particular medicine cannot cure all illnesses or diseases.
• When the Candidate attributes his electoral defeats to everybody barring himself - Afari Gyan, Mahama, Atuguba, Kufuor, Alan, and Polling Agents. Why then change the party leadership all the time, but not the presidential candidate whose face appear on the ballot paper?
• When the Candidate embarks on Listening Tours, Restoration of Hope Tour, Thank You Tour, declares "All die be die, restructure the party, gets all Musicians to sing for him, smoke peace pipe with the Rawlingses, changes his Campaign Manager, receives prayers from Muslims, Christians, Traditional Priests, touches the Wailing Wall in Israel, and finally gives the battle to The Lord, yet, the electorates reject him.
• When the Candidate urges his supporters to treat him like an 'Opposition President' - giving him red-carpet treatment at the airport, waves to the crowd in an open top vehicle, and 'respected' more than former president Kufuor who won political power on two occasions for the NPP.
• When the Candidate thinks his late father was appointed the Head of State some years back so he should also be elected as the president of Ghana at all cost to fulfill his childhood dreams.
• When the Candidate thinks he never lived in a government bungalow when appointed a Minister of State so he is not corrupt, and for that matter, Ghanaians should vote for him, knowing very well corruption starts as soon as a Candidate is elected the president. Nobody saw Nkrumah, Busia Liman, Rawlings, Kufuor, Mills or Mahama as corrupt, but each of them was cited as corrupt in their tenure as presidents. What makes our Candidate unique?
• When the Candidate and his loyalists think age does not matter in Ghana politics, yet both Mills and Mahama as younger candidates respectively beat our older Candidate in two different elections.
• When the Candidate who has not experienced poverty in his lifetime begins to drink pure water in public, sit in 'trotro' (public transport), and eat Kenkey & Ampese in public, just to look ordinarily and natural during elections.
• When the Candidate fails to win elections when his party was in government with such economic records - free maternal care, NHIS, NYEP, LEAP, MASLOC, mass cocoa spraying, mass transit etc.
• When the Candidate and loyalists think people on the ground are rooting for him to lead the party in Election 2016. The question is, where were all those people on the ground in 2008 and 2012? If they all voted in those elections, why didn't our Candidate win?
Folks, it is clear from the above that, presenting the same Candidate will have dire consequences on our party. Let's change him in December, because he himself said change was necessary in 1998 when he contested against Kufuor in Sunyani. He said; "There has been no instance in the history of democratic politics where a leader who fails to win power at first attempt succeeds when presented the second time in succession". He has exhausted his opportunities on three occasions. What else does he want?
Please, join GAKE and spread the good news! One more change for power!
Katakyie Kwame Opoku Agyemang (National Coordinator - 0202471070/0547851100)
