NANA ADDO BRUSHOFF ASHANTIS

The Leader of the Opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo-Addo on Tuesday May 01, 2012 snubbed Ashantis as he refused to honour a National rally for his party in the Bekwai Constituency of the Ashanti Region.

The National Rally which was widely publicized in the media and through several banners was to be used to launch the NPP National Campaign Message for elections 2012.

It would be recalled that the NPP organized a rally in Accra at the Mantse Agbonaa Park to outdoor the party's Parliamentary candidates for the Greater Accra Region sometime in February this year where the embattled and accused 'genocide' MP for Assin North, Hon. Kennedy Agyapong charged the NPP supporters to lynch police personnel on the slightest doubt of their fairness.

The NPP rally at Mantse Agbonaa was christened by party kingpins as a 'gargantuan' because of the large attendance even though a rally organized by the ruling NDC at the same venue later outnumbered the NPP attendance.

The NPP therefore in an attempt to show muscles according to our sources within the party, decided to launch a National Campaign Message in their stronghold, Ashanti Region; hence the Bekwai Rally.

The expectations were high, the enthusiasm was generated, banners were all over the region but the numbers became discouraging. The attendance at Bekwai last Tuesday gave a mixed signal to the opposition Party since they could not even march up to a half (50%) of the attendance in Accra.

The leader of the party Nana Akufo-Addo receiving the heart-breaking news from his advance team at the rally grounds, decided to boycott the Bekwai rally.

Our reliable source within the NPP Ashanti Executives confirmed to this reporter that “Nana Addo was here in Kumasi for the rally but had to rush back to Accra because he was travelling tonight”. He continued “he even asked the Regional Chairman to represent him at the Rally”.

What amazes this reporter is that at no point at the rally was the Regional chairman of the NPP Freduah Anto introduced as representing Nana Addo at the rally.

The source further revealed that Nana Addo directed that the National rally be altered into a constituency rally because of the poor attendance even though most of the people were bused from Kumasi to Bekwai.

All the pro-NPP newspapers have refused to give their usual sensational headlines about the Bekwai rally because of its failure.

The Member of Parliament for the Bekwai Constituency who is an Independent MP was seen with NPP paraphernalia on him and mounted the platform.

He took advantage of the flopped rally to re-introduce himself as a member of the NPP and apologized for standing as an Independent candidate against the party's elected candidate Hon. Kofi Adusei Opoku in the 2008 Parliamentary elections.

This reporter is yet to come to terms with the reasons why the top hierarchy of the NPP refused to show up at the rally. Party National chairman Jake Obetsebi Lamptey was missing from the rally as well as the General Secretary Kwadwo Owusu Afriyie and the minority leader in Parliament Hon. Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu who hails from the region.

The NPP can be said to have NO Message for election 2012 for now until they put their acts together for another launch.

STORY BY AKWASI BONSU BIBINI (KBB) – KUMASI