What Is The Point Alan (2)

Take a look at these figures: 0 0 0 1 2 3 4 11 14 17. You may be forgiven for thinking these are some winning lottery numbers.  They are anything but winning numbers. They are the figures for Alan's poor results in the August 31, 2014 Super Delegates' vote.  In spite of this, all indications are that Alan and his backers are determined that he should persist in his clearly futile effort to fight in the race to be the New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer.

If this was a boxing match, the referee would have declared a technical knockout to avoid any further battering of Alan. The trainers and backers in the ring side of Alan urging him to continue would have been seen as simply irresponsible. But luckily, this is not a boxing tournament.  It is a political election with a lot at stake for the NPP and indeed the country.  It is a match that calls for sober reflection of one's own interest and the interest of his party.

For those who say this is all about democracy, they are of course right. But democracy is working together as a team to reflect the wishes of the people.  Democracy is not embarking and persisting on fruitless ventures at the cost of the majority.  Far from being democratic, the NPP now appears to be trapped by the tyranny of the minority.

As we go to press, NPP is in court with internal fighting over whether to have the presidential primary on 18th October postponed until a much later date, presumably to give Alan more time to campaign. Whatever their reasons may be, one gets the impression that the NPP has been in opposition for so long that it has lost its sense of purpose and direction.  They seem to have forgotten that the real opponents are not the fellow party members, but the National Democratic Congress (NDC) that is watching from the side lines and wishing and waiting for the NPP to implode.

Some political analysts have noted that Alan has more support in the NDC than the NPP. As if to lend credence to the joke, Nana      Ohene-Ntow, the Campaign Spokesman for Alan, has openly called on NDC members to join Alan's campaign for victory on 18th October. Unfortunately, NDC members cannot vote in the NPP, and Alan's spokesman must surely be aware of this.   But one has to ask, if Alan's campaign team is desperate enough and sees it fit to call on NDC members to help Alan to win the NPP presidential slot, then what is the point?

In public life there comes a moment when one has to decide what is in his own interest and what is in the interest of the party and the community he serves. It is usually a difficult decision that can be made even more difficult by the conflict between one's own convictions and the urgings and persuasions of others.  But ultimately, the individual bears the responsibility to make that decision at the right time for the right reason.  The time is right and the reason is clear.  All that is left is the decision. It is a question of whether Alan has the courage to make that decision.

It is not too late for Alan to rethink and reassess the futility of their efforts and the cost to their party.  Interestingly, there are some opponents of Alan in the NPP who insist that the party should go to the primary on the scheduled date and allow the process to run its full course.  Their perverse rationale is that if for nothing at all, it will ensure the total decimation and complete defeat and humiliation of Alan and make sure that Nana will have no residual headaches from Alan.  But this is rather self-serving and brings the party no benefit.  This is a time when the party needs everybody and all resources.  What is the point in organising the primary on 18th October just to humiliate Alan's opponents?  The party should rethink its purpose and general strategies of inclusiveness and unity building, if it is to win the next general elections.