Making the announcement at a press conference in Accra yesterday, Mr Osei-Ameyaw indicated that the result of the super delegates’ conference on August 31, clearly portrayed Nana Addo – who garnered 81% of the total valid votes cast – not only as the favourite amongst the rest, but also the overwhelming choice of the delegates who were poised to see him win the NPP presidential ticket for the 2016 general elections.
Kofi Osei-Ameyaw therefore joins Joe Ghartey, who came third in the super delegates’ congress and had stepped down from the presidential race, leaving the turf for Nana Akufo-Addo, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen—who launches his campaign tomorrow at Abeka Lapaz, Accra—and Francis Addai-Nimoh to slug it out.
According to Mr Osei-Ameyaw, the super delegates’ conference had shown that the party was united under one person—Nana Akufo-Addo.
Osei-Ameyaw, Member of Parliament (MP) for Asuogyaman in the Eastern Region, explained that having campaigned on the back of party unity and also after a deep reflection, he had decided to throw his weight behind Nana Akufo-Addo and not do anything to endanger the unity of the party so as to ensure that the NPP wins convincingly in 2016 and wrest power from the National Democratic Congress.
“We as true members of the NPP have to think about the common good of winning power in 2016 and not think about our individual interest,” he pointed out, noting that when the party was united under Dr K.A. Busia and John Agyekum Kufuor, it won power to bring relief to Ghanaians.
“Under Dr Busia, the party initiated a lot of programmes to bridge the gap between the rich and the poor, while under President Kufuor, the party implemented social policies such as National Health Insurance Scheme, National Youth Employment Programme, Capitation Grant, Free Maternal Health Care, Metro Mass Transit Services, MASLOC and discovering of oil in commercial quantities for the country,” he recalled.
According to the Asuogyaman MP, ‘Ghanaians are yearning for a change since the NDC government has woefully failed to meet their expectations’ and that the NPP represents the change Ghanaians need.
“I have no other choice than to look at the bigger interest of the party and make this sacrifice therefore, I am fully prepared to play any role in Nana Akufo-Addo’s campaign in our quest to wrest political power from the NDC in 2016,” he indicated.
When asked if Alan Kyerematen and Francis Addai-Nimo should also follow his footsteps, Osei Ameyaw said he could not speak for the two because ‘it is their individual rights to contest but it will definitely be in the interest of the party if the two also decide to back Nana Akufo-Addo.’
Nana’s Residence
After his public announcement, the Asuogyaman MP went to the house of Nana Addo to officially congratulate him on overwhelmingly winning the super delegates’ conference and to also offer his support and allegiance to him.
Nana Akufo-Addo, who received the MP in the company of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, his running mate, said he was touched by the gesture of Kofi Osei-Ameyaw, stressing that he would need all hands on deck to be able to win massively in 2016, if he was endorsed by the NPP delegates on October 18.
The 2012 NPP presidential candidate had just returned from Tamale where he had gone to campaign in the three northern regions with Dr Bawumia when Osei-Ameyaw visited him.
He said the economy under President Mahama was in the ditch and that the education and the health sectors were in total mess, while there was widespread unemployment with the future of the country looking very bleak.
He therefore asked all NPP faithful to put the internal squabbles behind them and work towards the party’s victory in 2016.
“I have worked with Kofi Osei-Ameyaw before and it will not be difficult at all to work with him again,” he said.
By Thomas Fosu Jnr
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