Npp must re-elect Nana Addo - Superior

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo

A leading member of the United Kingdom branch of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Iddrisu Musah Superior has called on the delegates of the party who would be voting to elect a flag bearer of the party in August this year to vote for Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo to ensure victory for the party in the 2012 general elections.

In an article sent to The Chronicle from his UK base, Superior argued that a leader must be able to identify his/her personal values in tandem with the ambition and aspiration of the people, and Nana Akuffo-Addo exactly fits this bill. Below is the full text he sent to us; Last year's constitutional amendments marked an important epoch and milestone for us as a Political Party, and our unrelenting resolve to deepen and expand the frontiers of democracy in the NPP and Ghana.

Electoral Colleges
The radical expansion of the Electoral Colleges to allow for greater participation of the grassroots party activists in the election of Party officers and Presidential candidates and establishment of a criterion to prune the number of presidential hopefuls to five persons was a major achievement for our Party, which was lauded by pro-democracy groups and individuals.

We have since been putting to test the new requirements of the NPP constitution and have recorded massive successes in all the elections; from Polling stations elections to the National elections. This has put our Party on a stronger footing and confirmed our status as pacesetters in a highly challenged democratic discourse and one of the world's most fine democratic institutions.

Elections at the various levels of the party structures were highly competitive and successful. We came out stronger and more ambitious after the elections of the National officers last February. With all these over, our Party is now scheduled to congregate at all the Polling centres (constituencies) on August 7 2010, to simultaneously choose the Presidential candidate for the 2012 general elections.

To this extent, several decent and professionally competent individuals of the party have declared their intentions to serve and lead the NPP into the much anticipated crucial elections of 2012. Crucial because Ghanaians will have another opportunity to re-engage with the NPP and compare our records with the fragile, patchy, increasingly undecisive and non-performing NDC government.

On this note, therefore, I declare my support for Nana Akuffo-Addo's bid. As a committed member and activist of the NPP who is desirous to see the party return to government in 2012, I have looked at all the options and alternatives available to the NPP, and I am totally convinced that Ghanaians will this time vote for a tested and more assertive person, considering the inability of President Mills to deal with issues promptly and decisively. I am confident that Nana Addo's candidacy will get us victory.

This election is not about which Ghanaian is more appealing to the citizens. It can not also be about whose personality connects with some sections of the people. It is all about security, our jobs, our education, our democracy and above all the country's recovery programme. The hopelessness of the situation and the terrible “bruises” inflicted on the nation require not only strong institutions but a strong, decisive and assertive person to manage and oversee the recovery programme.

We are looking for vigour, experience and the will power in our next President, who will not dither over critical national issues, inspire the country and carry it through tough times with a clear and tangible programme of hope and aspiration. I know the NPP membership and Ghanaians at large will not bow to triviality and cheap propaganda and ignore the bare facts as Nana Akuffo-Addo remains the hope of our aspiration as a country.

A true leader must look within and become aware of what message he/she wants to convey and contemplate how it will be communicated to his/her audience. The key elements in his /her message must include his/her vision for the future, his track record of the past; based on knowledge and experience of his working and social lives. He or she must be able to identify his/her personal values in tandem with the ambition and aspiration of the people. Nana Akuffo Addo fits exactly into this bill.

political leadership
Our country is in crisis, we living in isolation from the rest of world because of lack of political leadership. Nana Addo's four decades of political experience is badly needed at this moment of monumental failures by the Mills'-chaperoned-administration. He is one of the few persons in our politics today who is ready to lead us to reclaim our position in global politics and reconnect Ghana with investors around the world. His confidence and census style leadership is what our Party and country require.

I am therefore making a discerning appeal to delegates to re-elect Nana Addo as candidate for election 2012.We stand a much better chance of winning in 2012 with Nana Addo as head, on the presidential ticket. His name is a household one in Ghana, therefore marketing him in 2012 will be easier and less expensive. His political acumen, capacity and ability to offer that political leadership so urgently needed to rescue Ghana cannot be doubted by any fair and open-minded Ghanaian.

The history of the dynamics of the fourth republican politics and the “behaviour” of the recent past elections should serve as a guide to our seasoned delegates.

Ex-President Kufour succeeded in becoming President during his second attempt; President Mills got it at his third attempt.

I am convinced that electing Nana Addo for a second attempt will give us victory in 2012. We risk loosing miserably if we ignore history and the evidence on the ground and change the face of the Party.

The no change wisdom in Sunyani in 1998 where Kufour was retained and eventually led the Party to win power in the year 2000 is extremely relevant today.

I do not believe that Nana Addo is the only person in our Party to serve as flagbearer to re-capture power for us but I do believe that he is undoubtedly the most suitable person to take up this role to deliver victory for the NPP. He is formidable, astute, assertive and principled and will carry the NPP safely to realize our objective.

Finally, I urge all aspirants and their supporters to conduct themselves and their campaigns devoid of mudslinging, personal attacks, lies and deceit, and engage honestly, positively and productively with the delegates, members and supporters of the Party and the Ghanaian public.

The NPP membership and Ghanaians at large are seeking to know what their candidacy can do for the Party and what their Presidency can do for the country.

All aspirants have a responsibility to ensure their aides and close associates are well behaved, guard their utterances and do things in the larger interest of the Party to safeguard and protect the Party's unity and reputation.

I wish all aspirants well and fit as we undertake this crucial journey to choosing the flagbearer of our great Party to lead our relentless and restless efforts to recapture power and save the wrecked country from total collapse.

I also wish the Party well and hope that the process will be free from intimidation, corruption and payola. Our Party members and Ghanaians will be watching with keen interest and looking forward for an exciting and idealistic contest.

God bless the NPP and our country. Signed Iddrisu Musah Superior United Kingdom & Tamale Central Constituency.