Akuffo Addo’s victory and related issues

Nana Addo Danquah Akuffo Addo Sunday made an appointment with destiny as the 3rd presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, NPP. Amidst high voltage tension, rash–hot anger and widespread suspicions of vote buying at the party's delegates congress, Nana Akuffo Addo polled 1,096 votes, approximately 48% to beat the flamboyant Alan Kyeremanten who had 738 votes, representing 32.2%.

To prevent a run-off, Alan gracefully bowed to the inevitable in the spirit true statesmanship and in the supreme interest of Party unity.

The Congress outcome again confirmed the dodgy nature of elections in which one candidate's sparkling success may be another's startling demise.

Having already made history as the longest serving Vice President, it is now certain that Akufo Addo's sweet electoral victory signals the better exit of the personable Alhaji Aliu from the rough and tumble of politics.
His 146 votes nearly 6.4% portrayed him as a political dwarf among the political giants in the NPP.

It is worth noting that Alan Kyeremanten's campaign message which was predicated on cash and jobs for the people failed to appeal to the material extinct of majority of the delegates who had allegedly been heavily monetized to deliver one touch victory. He indeed has all the qualities of a president but not the greatness to bend history. On Dr. Kwame Addo Kufuor, his shocking result confirmed the view that his decision to stand was an exercise in bad timing.

He struggled throughout the campaign to clean-up the dynastic smear for attempting to succeed his brother.
Otherwise, he remains one of the best Presidents Ghana deserves. Another victim of circumstances was Oyadeayie Yaw Osafo-Maafo. His unmatched intelligence and unparalleled competence mark him out as one of the best Finance Minister in the world.

Apart from Dan Botwe, who needs a few more years of political seasoning to ascend the presidency, all the other candidates failed to inject any meaningful semblance of competition in the race but only succeeded in swelling the number of candidates.

Beating all of them comprehensively at a go required a master piece of strategic planning which was exemplified by Nana Akufo Addo.

An unwavering loyalist or true blue party man as he describes himself, Nana's victory vindicates the fact that history is for the long haul and not for the short sighted or faint hearted.

A man of abiding strength, political savvy, meticulous learning, towering confidence, international exposure and linguistic mastery in English, French, Hausa, and of course Ga, Nana Akufo Addo adds inestimable value to the race for a residential candidate.

His unyielding spirit and courageous posture however give his critics veritable ammunition to attack him and question his temperance and emotional intelligence to steer the NPP on to overcome the challenges it encountered during the congress as well as in choosing a worthy candidate, it is imperative to address lingering concerns about the so-called drift towards “moneycracy” where primaries or congresses are turned into huge malls for the sale of political power to the highest bidder.

This is because whatever happens to democracy at the micro-level directly affects democracy at the micro or national level.

Given the quality of the flag he bears and the resourcefulness of the party he leads, Nana Akufo Addo could be so tantalizingly close to the Flag Staff House.
But against National Democratic Congress' Atta Mills who sees the presidency as now or never proposition and Nduom's Convention Peoples Party which is now beginning to crow, it will not be easy.
Election 2008 will tell.