2012 Election Will Focus On Morality — Kojo Alata

A leading member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and an opinion leader in the Central Region, Mr Kojo Mensah, popularly called Kojo Alata, has predicted that the 2012 Presidential Election will be primarily preoccupied by the morality of the various candidates.

“Public perceptions about the various presidential candidates moral standing are going to matter in the 2012 Presidential Election,” he told the Daily Graphic when he shared his views on democratic governance in the country over the last 17 years.

He explains “President J.E.A. Mills has branded himself as a humble and God-fearing person, therefore, the NPP will equally need a candidate who will be seen by the average Ghanaian as God-fearing and humble as well”.

“Mark my words; in 2012, the National Democratic Congress’s presidential candidate will be President John Evans Atta Mills because God is strengthening him every day as we can all bear testimony to,” he predicted.

The 78-year-old political stalwart, therefore, challenged the membership of the NPP, particularly national delegates of the party, to choose a presidential candidate who could match President Mills as well as be seen as the future face of the party.

Mr Mensah said if the NPP as a political party failed to recognise the need to elect a principled visionary leader who was an achiever with visible track record as well as realistic homegrown ideas, they would have a terrible price to pay.

Mr Mensah told the Daily Graphic that such a candidate must be able to win votes in more than two regions, maintain the NPP votes in Ashanti, Central, Eastern, Brong Ahafo regions before the NPP could win the 2012 Election.

Additionally, such a candidate should have a multi-ethnic appeal and be able to attract the floating voters, youth and women groupings. “Ethnicity is a political reality that cannot be overlooked in African politics”, he said.

“There will be a terrible price to pay if the NPP does not win power in 2012; it will mean the advantage of presenting a crop of youthful and dynamic leaders will be lost”, he stated.

Mr Mensah added that it would also reinforce the idea that certain old guards were so entrenched in the party that their personal ambition superceded the party’s strategic interest.

Quoting Kwame Nkrumah’s assertion that “the party is supreme and winning power is the ultimate”, Mr Mensah said, and challenged delegates of the NPP to elect candidates who would serve the party and nation faithfully, and added that such a candidate must be selfless, and not arrogant.

In his opinion, the NPP lost the 2008 Election because its national leaders failed the party. “We must now teach our members to vote for people who have interest in the party and will usher the party to victory in the 2012 Election”, he stated.

He said most of the trouble political parties had was due to the fact that their foot soldiers were always ignored after political power had been won.

“We ignore people who put us in power and this is our bane”, he stated. He said there must be yardsticks for measuring our leaders, adding that a leader must be well tested, in tune with the party and know its needs and wants.

“I don’t like the idea that people from outside will suddenly come in to hijack the party and lord over everybody”, he stated.

“If you want to be a leader, bid your time, work with us, identify yourself with the needs of the masses and lead with character”, he stated.

Overcoming the challenges facing the NPP did not require a public show or gimmick but needed everybody on board, the past must be forgotten, members should forge ahead in unity and strategise in the collective interest of the nation and party, he stated.

He reiterated his earlier call on the party to approach the ongoing internal democratic process to elect new leaders with circumspection and a new sense of mission, arguing that “the ongoing elections should not lead to divisiveness of tagging the contenders as belonging to Alan camp or Nana Akufo-Addo camp.”

He insisted that what the party needed now was to restrategise and reassert itself in order to be more relevant to win the confidence of the Ghanaian electorate once again.

“My contention is that the NPP should reposition itself as a popular party in the hearts and minds of the Ghanaian electorate and demonstrate it’s eagerness to win the 2012 Presidential and General Election to ussher in a new era for Ghana’s accelerated development,” he stated.

In so doing, he said that the NPP must find a presidential candidate who would represent these aspirations, saying “such a candidate must also be humble, competent and principled with strong moral values,” he told the Daily Graphic.

Share Your Thoughts on this article Name Email Location Comments Graphic Ghana may edit your comments and not all comments will be published kwame gyamfiAccraKojo Alata has spoken the most wisest thing for NPP. For one person to hijack the NPP party is unreal.
Akufo Addo and Alan are good candidates but they're not the best in the party. Dr.Kwabena Frimpong-Boateng fits this description.Great achiever,disciplined,God fearing and selfless. If NPP has the wisdom and not going to be fooled by money, they will pick this Frimpong-Boateng as their candidate. Akufo Addo has had his chance and should give room to somebody else. Alan was a minister who accomplished nothing and should not be elected to lead the NPP party.We need a respected, humble and morally upright person to lead NPP.
Tnak you.