Nana will satisfy da Rocha – Arthur K.

The Chairman of the Communications Committee of Nana Addo's campaign team is asking fanatics of the New Patriotic Party to remain calm, whilst Nana Akufo-Addo completes his consultation process with the party leadership in the selection of a running mate.

Dr. Arthur Kennedy insisted that Nana Akufo-Addo has not made a decision yet; and assured after all said and done; NPP stalwarts like B. J. da Rocha would be satisfied with the selected candidate.

He told Citi FM on Tuesday: “Nana Addo is listening to advice, he would be guided by advice and I am sure that in the end, Mr. da Rocha would be pleased by the choice that Nana Addo makes in consultation with the party.”

In a confidential letter addressed to the leadership of the party on Thursday, Mr. B.J. da Rocha, warned his party of the chaos that would ensue if the party's presidential candidate selects Hajia Alima Mahama as his running mate for this year's elections.

Dr. Kennedy said the team knows in principle that Nana Addo is not an independent candidate, who can make the choice alone, and therefore appreciates concerns raised in Mr. da Rocha's letter.

Arthur Kennedy described Mr. da Rocha as a “revered icon of the party”, but said his letter was a sort of “jumping the gun”.

The disposition of the letter was probably deduced from a newspaper's publication, which stated that Nana Addo has selected Hajia Alima Mahama.

But Arthur Kennedy allayed the agitation and maintained that no newspaper is the mouthpiece of the campaign team.

He said the team did not also counter the publication because it does not want to “argue based on a newspaper's report”.

Dr. Amoako Tuffuor, a former advisor to Vice President Alhaji Aliu Mahama on his presidential bid last year, was taken aback by the tone of the letter.

“I do not agree with the mood of expression,” he said. “We should not put pressure on Nana Addo.”

He said the running mate should be someone the presidential candidate can work with, accepted by the party and a winning candidate.

Story by Isaac Essel