However, by dint of hard work and perseverance, he won massively the primary of the party in 2010 to contest on its ticket as the candidate for the 2012 presidential election.
Nana Addo contested the 1992 primary, which was won by the late Professor Albert Adu-Boahen (alias Kontopiaat), 1996 which was clinched by former President John Agyekum Kufuor, and 2000 , the same ex-president Kufuor.
He did not for reason best known to himself vie for the NPP’s presidential slot in 2004, which former President Kufuor was elected unopposed and proceeded to win the poll to secure him the second term of office.
The NPP flag bearer for the 2012 poll stake yet another claim for the coveted title for the 2008 presidential election,which went to the wire as none of the 17 candidates who contested the primary was able to clinch the 50 plus one vote to emerge as the presidential candidate.
After an exhaustive horse trading by leading members of the party and the candidates, a consensus was reached that Nana Addo should become the presidential candidate for the party since he secured the highest number of votes at the congress.
Nana Addo lost the 2008 presidential election to National Democratic Congress (NDC) presidential candidate, Professor John Evans Atta in a run-off after the first round of voting did not produce any winner. In another word, none of the candidates crossed the finishing line of 50 plus one vote to be declared as the winner by the Electoral Commission (EC)
In 1992 when Nana Addo contested the NPP presidential primary, he was 48, however, the same person will be 68 years as he battles with
whoever emerges as the NDC flagbearer after their July congress in the Brong Ahafo Regional capital of Sunyani in next year’s presidential election.
So in effect, for 20 good years, Nana Addo has contested the NPP primary on five different occasions stretching from 1992 to 2010 and won two of those contest to slug it out with candidates of other political parties in two general elections, one in 2008 and the other will be in 2012.
The question is, does 2012 presidential election represent a watershed for the political career of Nana Addo?
Will a victory for the NPP flagbearer in the 2012 presidential election regenerate his political career for four years bringing him to the age of 72 at the end of his term?
At the age of 72, will he consider standing on the ticket of the NPP in a bid to secure him a second term in office?
In similar vein, will a defeat for Nana Addo possibly lead to the demise of his career in active politics which dates back to the 1970’s?
Will he, however, disregard the issue of age and stage a come back to contest on the ticket of the NPP for the third time in a presidential election?
Moreover, will he get the support among leading functionaries and the rank and file of the party to run for the highest office in the country if he suffers another defeat in 2012 poll?
Can Nana Addo convince party members that for instance President Atta Mills was the presidential candidate of the NDC on three consecutive occasions before he was endorsed by the electorate to become the President of this country?
The facts of the ground is that, President Mills first contested as the presidential candidate of the NDC in the 2000 polls at the age of 56. In the 2004 election, the then candidate Mills was 60 and when he vied for the national seat in 2004 , he had chalked 64.
However, when Nana Addo first became the flag bearer of the NPP in 2008 at the age of 64 and will be 68 as he make his second attempt at the 2012 presidential election to become the next President of Ghana.
In case Nana suffers another defeat in the 2012 poll, will the balance of forces within the NPP play down the issue of age and allow him to contest on the ticket of the party for the third time at the age of 72?  Continued…  Â
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