Nana Addo jumps to Coomson`s defence

REPORTS GATHERED by this reporter has revealed that the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) Presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has strongly defended the Publisher of the Chronicle and the aspiring Parliamentary candidate for Effia-Kwesimintsim, Nana Kofi Coomson, and has condemned various subtle moves by some bigwigs of the party to torpedo the political dream of Coomson, for the simple reason that he aired his views against him (Nana Addo Dankwa) in the run-up to last year's Presidential primaries.

According to the reports, Nana Akufo-Addo was not pleased with attempt to ditch the Publisher of The Chronicle. Nana Akufo-Addo made this comment last Sunday at the VIP Lounge of the Kotoka International Airport on his arrival from the United States of America and London, after he was briefed by Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, the national campaign Director, about developments in the party.

The NPP Presidential Candidate was arguing against moves by certain big shots within the rank and file of the party to disqualify Mr. Coomson, on the basis that his (Kofi) comments had allegedly brought the name of the Presidential Candidate into disrepute.

“Ever since I was elected Presidential Candidate, I have not heard or seen Kofi Coomson say anything untoward about me. If it is about what he said during the primary process, then there is no basis at all, after all my supporters also said a lot about the other candidates,” he said.

At that point, Nana Akufo-Addo, who stated that he was a firm believer and advocate of human rights, immediately phoned Mr. Odoi Sykes, the chairman for the Disciplinary Committee of the party to ensure that nothing untoward was done to prevent Nana Kofi Coomson from contesting the primary.

Following Coomson's declaration to contest the sitting MP, Hon. Joe Baidoo Ansah, there have been overt and covert moves within the party to prevent him from going to the primary, because of the fear that he would defeat the incumbent Member of Parliament and Minister for Aviation, Hon. Joe Baidoe Ansah.

The recent fall of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hon. Osei Adjei at Ejisu-Juaben, has sent shivers down the spine of party elders who are calling for the rest of the cabinet Ministers to be protected.

As part of the plan, some party elders are calling for the disqualification of Kofi Coomson on the basis that he has brought the name of the Presidential Candidate into public ridicule.

They cited the example of Kakra Essamuah in 2000, when he called on Ghanaians not to vote for Preisdent Kufuor, for which reason he was dismissed from the party. Nana Akufo-Addo, however, argued that the case of Coomson was different.

“In the case of Kofi Coomson, when he said the things that he said against me, I was not the Presidential Candidate of the party; we don't have to create the impression that we are against free speech in the party” he said. “Besides, what did he say? That he can't sleep when I am President?” Akufo-Addo asked?
Chronicle intelligence has it that Akufo-Addo immediately reached for his phone and called some elders of the party to register his protest at the moves to disqualify Kofi Coomson on what he termed “frivolous reasons”.

The Publisher of The Chronicle Group of Papers, is on his way to becoming the parliamentary candidate of the NPP for Efia-Kwesimintsim, as the popularity of the current MP has reached an all-time low. Some of the people who were at the Airport to welcome Nana Akufo-Addo included his Campaign Director, Dr. K.K.Apraku, Hon. Yaw Osafo Maafo, his Special Assistant, Yaw Amfo-Kwakye, his Director of Operations, Nich Adi-Dako, his Spokesperson, Mustapha Hamid, Alhaji Aminu Amadu, Samuel Anim Obiri, Alhaji Boniface Abubakari and a host of other party and campaign officials.