Only the naive would still be waiting for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to formally declare his intention to run for the Presidency in 2016.
The body language of Nana Addo and his calculated speeches, inactions and actions, after the Supreme Court ruling last year that validated the Presidency of John Dramani Mahama, leave no one in doubt that he will not only ask the delegates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to renew his mandate to lead them, but in fact Ghanaians to give him their votes in his last attempt at the Presidency.
But if you are among the doubting Thomases, who hold onto seeing is believing and the sweetness of the pudding is in the eating, then the dispatch with which a statement came from his office, signed by Kow Essuman an aide to Nana Addo to refute the allegation by the Al-Hajj newspaper, with the headline:‘Akufo-Addo bows out, Kufuor Agrees’, should put your mind to rest and tell you that the man, even though has ended the show, still claims he has a last dance to make.
It reads: “Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who is cooling off in his ‘hide out’ in far-away UK has finally thrown in the towel on his wildly rumored third term bid for the presidency due to old age and health concerns.”
We wish to assure the good people of Ghana that the story is entirely false. This alleged news item only exemplifies the unacceptable face of creative journalism which seems to be the specialty of the Al Hajj newspaper.
Nana Akufo-Addo has made no such decision. As indicated before his departure to London last September, he will make known his future in Ghanaian politics on his return to Ghana, which will be very shortly.
So Nana Addo’s office and his aides are still active and operating his office in his absence and we are seeing a culture of impunity creeping in the NPP, with Executives like Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie, alias Sir John, the General Secretary openly declaring support for Nana Addo, without his office distancing itself from such reckless and irresponsible statements. Indeed, we are all selfish and greedy. The fact that the statements from the General Secretary goes to support his bid and shore up his popularity is inconsistent and an upfront to the Constitution of the NPP, does not concern him.
This statement only reinforces the believe that Nana Addo is only on an ego trip and that he will at anytime and giving the opportunity put his interest above the interest of his party and the nation.
At his age, coupled with health concerns, it is only safe and natural to assume that he will not seek reelection to lead the NPP again into another defeat, because he won’t have the strength and character needed to traverse the length and breadth of this country. He is also carrying the baggage of the death of President John Evans Atta Mills, the country will not want to go through the ordeal it went through following the untimely death of President Mills.
The National Democratic Congress (NDC), will certainly use this against the ailing and aging Nana Addo.
Another reason is that having given it a shot on two occasions both in 2008 and 2012 and failing he will sit back and lend his support to the new generation of leaders, who will emerge after him and are the new face of the party.
Our wishes are not the wishes of God, it only takes a courageous man to accept that it is not all that we dream of and aspire for that comes to pass and when the curtains are down the best decision is to bow out.
It is not only fight that one leaves to fight another day. Some fights are beyond us.
Nana Addo has served his nation and party, at the highest level both in the executive as a minister of state and a legislator as a Member of Parliament (MP), not forgetting his long standing experience at the Bar.
Many people will give the world just to have half of what this country gave him.
The Presidency is a different ball game, he is not cut for it, so the self denial will hurt him to his grave. The destiny and lives of millions of Ghanaians are at stake and in your hands and so is not a position that is left for people, who see it as self actualization.
The delegates of the NPP in August has a date with destiny, it is either they want the Presidency or they just want a flagbearer, which Nana Addo by all indication is the best flagbearer they have had since we ushered in the Fourth Republican dispensation, but no matter how many times they throw him at Ghanaians as their candidate, Ghanaians will reject him.
One thing must inform their choice of candidate, they should choose a candidate who does not only know Ghanaians, but one that Ghanaians know.
Not many people gave former President, John Agyekum Kufuor a dog’s chance, when he contested Nana Akufo-Addo at the party’s primaries in the 90’s, but not did only did he (Kufuor) defeat Nana Addo, he went on to become the President of this country for eight years (2001-2008).
So if what the NPP is looking for is someone who can deliver the Presidency to them, they should begin to look at the possible candidates and ask themselves who among them is unassuming and looks presidential, because as Kwame Pianim put it any idiot can become a flagbearer and they had an idiot lead them in both the 2008 and 2012 elections.
Of all the problems confronting the NPP and the country, Nana Addo and his office only finds it imperative and convenience to react to a story that talks about him not contesting in 2016. Is that the best use of his time and energy? Is this the type of selfish leaders we need, who are only interested in self aggrandizement and glorification?