Nduom Fires Baako

Presidential candidate of the Convention People's Party (CPP), Dr. Paa Kwesi Nduom, has called the bluff of Malik Kewku Baako, Editor-In-Chief and Publisher of the Crusading Guide.

Dr. Nduom has asked the ace Journalist to stop saying publicly that though he, Nduom, is a fine presidential material, his dream of succeeding President J.A. Kufuor after the December polls is an unachievable one as the CPP is not well prepared to contest and win the presidential election this year.

Dr. Nduom, speaking at the party's second-quarter national organisation and campaign meeting over the weekend, charged:

“I want to reply one Malik Kweku Baako, who says I am the best person to be president but I would not win because it is not my time. I say he should rather support me because when he does, I will win”.

In an interview with DAILY GUIDE when Dr. Nduom was asked why most of the seasoned Journalists in his party seem to have no faith in him, he said: “It is Kewku Baako I have heard say that; and I know that with time, he himself would reverse his perspective.

I have been challenging him to travel away from Accra and go and see rural people; when he does so, he would change his perspective.

And what better thing there is when someone says 'he can't', 'he can't', 'he can't', 'he can't' and then comes back and says 'ah, now he can'.

“I am not bothered because you cannot get everybody to say you are winning or to help or like you; I cannot do it. Kwame Nkrumah was not liked by everybody; so everybody has their detractors.

But I know what my target is and I know what I am doing and nothing is going to move me left or right.”

He also denied that many big-wigs in the CPP have lost confidence in his ability to take the party to victory this year, and explained: “It is not our people in general because there are many who are working.

It is some few people who are very vocal and they talk and it is those people who have either said something against me or are alleged to have said something, or have accused me or have done one thing or the other.

I do not want to mention names but they are probably not more than 12 who are causing us to speak this way”.

Earlier on, Dr. Nduom, in his speech, had made a call on certain persons to join the campaign and help the CPP win.

“I am asking George Badu Aggudey, Badu-Akosah, Bright Akwetey, Kwaku Osafo, F. W. Akuffo, Edmond Delle, Nii Noi Dowuona, Kwesi Pratt, Kweko Baako, Freddie Blay to join hands with me and Ladi Nylander, Ivor Greenstreet, Evelyn Anabilla, Susan Adu-Amamkwah and others to strengthen the CPP and weaken our opponents so that we can win the 2008 elections.”

Party Chairman, Ladi Nylander said the CPP was having meetings and consultations with the above names to get them to actively join the campaign.

The meeting was for the party to review its campaign over the last six months and chart a course for the next six months in general, but specifically for the next three months.

Dr. Nduom disclosed that the CPP would on July 1 launch a campaign to attract first-time voters to the party, and that over 1,000 new voters would be introduced.

By Halifax Ansah-Addo