NO NEED TO REBRAND NANA AKUFO ADDO FOR 2012 - Kobby Annan

Kobby Annan

The NPP Holland branch Chairman, Kobby Annan has said unlike president Atta Mills, the NPP does not need to rebrand its 2012 presidential candidate Nana Akufo Addo to Ghanaians, in order to win the 2012 elections. Speaking in a radio interview with Sunday morning show host Mike Opoku-ware, of Blackstar FM in Amsterdam, Kobby Annan said, the continuous failure of president Mills' better Ghana agenda coupled with his lack of vision and ineffective leadership has tasked the National Democratic Congress to frequently unleash its propaganda machinery to rebrand the president as Religious, holier than holy, Well-focused, Unifier, King of Peace (Asomdwee hene) and a Father-for-all, when in fact the president has proven to fall short of all of these rebranded “catch Phrases”.

Asked by the host to explain his assertion, he explained that, a rebranded product simply means there was something or everything wrong with the original that has resulted in a serious decline in patronage or rejection by consumers. Ghanaians are rejecting the NDC and the Mills-Mahama administration for their failures, hence the NDC's desperate efforts to keep rebranding Mills as righteously whiter than snow. Politically the NDC has rebranded President Atta Mills by distancing him from J.J. Rawlings and the (P) NDC, for everything they stood for, even when he was vice-president for four years, just to prove he is his own man (Mr. Odeneho). Kobby Annan explained further that, Nana Akufo Addo's impeccable political and leadership record is attested internationally and locally, so the NPP doesn't need to rebrand him to the electorate during this year's campaign. Mr. Annan questioned why even Nana Addo, who became Ghana's first ever Foreign Minister to be president of the all-powerful UN Security Council, and was credited for peace consolidation in West Africa, by spelling out broad priorities on which the strategy for the sub-region's peace and security should focus, has not claimed the title “Asomdwee hene”. Yet paradoxically, President Mills who even failed to secure peace in next door Côte d'Ivoire and still cannot unify FONKAR and GAME factions within his own party has ascribed the title Asomdwee hene ( King of Peace) to himself? “In politics when your lies and propaganda catches-up with your only life saving straw is” Kobby stated.

Mr. Annan again explained that advertising is about promotion, advice and reassurance. So the NPP is effectively advertising the flagbearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo for who he is, beyond TV and radio to reassure the electorate towards the 2012 elections, to that effect. Adding, it's only reassuring that Nana Akufo Addo is the candidate determined to build an integrated industrialisation programme that will put an end to Ghana's current Guggisberg economy. The consistency of Nana Akufo-Addo's character which is intertwined with his political message has conspicuously exhibited through his fight for democracy, human-rights, economic freedom, the right to free education and poverty eradication then and now, cannot be over emphasised, said Mr. Annan. “We don't need to rebrand consistent Nana Addo as God fearing successful Ghanaian lawyer, who worships with the Ridge Church on Sundays, or rebrand him as an advocate for peace, rule of law etc. That's why we say, we have known him for a long time (Yenim no firi tete)”. Kobby Annan called on the electorate to shun any senseless and deceptive rebranded catch phrases by the NDC for Atta Mill and vote Nana Akufo Addo.

Touching on his perspective and evaluation of Nana's listening tour so far, Chairman Kobby Annan revealed, he was well informed at a recent meeting in London, where Nana Addo and the minority leader were present, that Nana Akufo Addo's listening tour in Ghana has been very well received by the people. Ghanaians are also taking the opportunity to mention their concerns to the flagbearer with the aim of letting him know what their needs are. “The listening tour is not merely a campaign but it is to have first-hand update about the people's plight. Besides, the listening tour continues to overturn the many lies and propaganda being spewed against the NPP presidential candidate together with the NPP, by the NDC. Nana Addo's listening tour commensurate with a community based campaign message aimed at motivating people to register as voters at the constituencies.” He concluded.

Source: Blackstar FM, Amsterdam