NPP 2024: The Mafia Resort to Desperate Defeatist Strategy, as Defeat Stares them in the Face.

I have keenly been following some of the arguments making rounds on social media relative to the selection of the NPP presidential candidate for 2024. After some time, I have come to a simple conclusion that some people just want to rock the party’s boat into opposition.

People like Hon. Atta Akyea and Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu, who have been tasked with the preaching of the Akan party message, don’t seem to have taken time to consider what is really at stake in 2024. I have recently seen a video of Atta Akyea struggling to execute his Akan-party assignment. He really struggled to sound reasonable and convincing. In the end he said nothing significant, except their pathetic defeatist “Bawumia-Alan ticket” strategy.

One could easily see through his argument that he is only seeking to protect the Akyem interest in the party. It’s even funny how he contradicted himself with his argument. Atta, how can you be talking about the principle of “one wins, all win” and at the same time be making the argument that presenting an Akan candidate wouldn’t be suitable. Wouldn’t a win by an Akan be a win for all? I know you to be an intelligent man, but as for this argument, don’t get it.

For all these years that the Akyems have dominated the party (from 2007 to date), the party has never been an Akan party. Suddenly, the party only becomes an Akan party when Alan Kyerematen leads it. The Mafia knows Alan Kyerematen is going to win hands down. All their research point to a massive victory for Alan, hence their desperate defeatist strategy of pushing for Bawumia-Alan ticket. Atta Akyea, you are doing a good job for the Mafia. But, be informed that Alan would pick his own running mate for the 2024 election. More grease to your forehead, Hon. Atta!

Let it be drummed louder and louder to the likes of Atta Akyea and Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu that, between Alan, Bawumia, Agyarko and the rest, we are not going to select one to become a National Chairman or General Secretary to manage the party. Significantly, we are going select one as a product to be sold on the Akan and Christian dominated Ghanaian political market for power.

So, kindly stop that your pathetic bogus Akan tag argument and put forward a stronger argument that touches on the germane issue - the marketability of the would-be candidate. Truth be told, the NPP would become a social club without the Akan Community. So, instead of making it sound negative, let’s continue to enjoy this important political advantage we have over the NDC.

In the 2020 election, even when our performance in Ashanti Region somehow plummeted, the region was able to stand against 9 regions that were dominated by the NDC.

In those 9 regions, the NDC had total votes of 3,719,536 whereas the NPP had 2,568244. This means the NDC beat the NPP with a total difference of 1,151,292 votes. The 9 regions are Upper West, Upper East, Northern, Savannah, Oti, Volta, Bono East, Great Accra and Western North.

Now check this out! In the Ashanti Region, the NPP had total votes of 1,795,824, while the NDC had 653,149 votes. This means, in Ashanti Region alone, the NPP beat the NDC with a difference of 1,142,675 votes. This shows that the region alone was able to stand against 9 regions that were won by the NDC with a deficit of just 8,617 votes. So, why don’t we continue to enjoy this awesome advantage and stop this bogus Akan tag argument that would only reduce our votes!

If we really want to win the 2024 election, then we must be very serious about the way we approach this presidential candidate issue. Any objective and deep thinking politician who really understands the dynamics of the Ghanaian politics and wants the NPP to retain power in the next election, would tell you that, the kind of a leader the NPP needs to win the 2024 election, is not Dr. Bawumia. O yes! If truth be told, he isn’t a suitable candidate at all.

Sincerely speaking, in terms of numbers, he wouldn’t bring anything significant to the table for our victory as a presidential candidate. Economic lectures and speeches that worked for the party in 2016 would mean nothing to Ghanaians in 2024. The reason is obvious. The advantage we have been enjoying in the Akan and Christian Communities over the NDC, would diminish significantly. Our votes in the Ashanti Region, our political spine and stronghold, would reduce drastically. And, the NDC would win in the northern part of the country.

You see, we need to face the reality and be sincere to let our individual interests and emotions take the back seat. With what is currently happening in the country, we don’t need a prophet to tell us that we are going to face the most difficult election in 2024.

Can any of Dr. Bawumia’s henchmen like Atta Akyea and Osei Kyei Mensah Bonsu and Napo sincerely tell us one significant power-winning advantage his candidature would bring to the party against John Mahama? With all due respect, the NPP, in its current state, doesn’t need such leader for the 2024 election. This is not to say that the Vice President isn’t a good person. Far from that!

As a standalone individual, he is a fantastic human being like many others in the party. However, relative to the political market, he won’t be a good candidate to win us power. That’s the painful truth! As I always point out in my articles without fear, the Christian-dominated and Akan-dominated nature of the political market make him a weak candidate against John Mahama, who can easily harness a significant advantage from the Christian Community over him. And we all know he cannot match JM in the North. For how long should we continue to play the ostrich.

My sincere conclusion: Recently, the image of the party has suffered some political bruises, some of which are self-inflicted. This cannot be disputed by any objective-minded person. The image of the party is currently nose diving with bruises at an alarming speed. Permit me to remix Kweku the Traveller small at this point. Who never believes this fact hands in the air. No hands? I am glad you believe it.

Therefore, moving forward, the party would need significant changes in its leadership to repair the bruises, in order to be as attractive as we used to be. It is for this reason that some of us are of the strong view that election of Alan Kyerematen, as the party’s presidential candidate, would significantly help to repair some damages and position the party well for victory in 2024.

The value of his personality, character, credibility and performance record (internationally and locally) in juxtaposition with that of JM, stand out as priceless political assets to the country. Ghanaians, particularly the women and youth would gladly vote for him to become Ghana’s next president.

Jobs for the People, Cash for the People remains his topmost priority.

E. G. Buckman