Let me begin this piece by posing two rhetorical questions as a foundation.
(1) How can a candidate who campaigned against my right to vote now come to me and ask for my vote?
(2) How can a confident aspiring Presidential candidate work against having his own popularity tested by a much larger number of the electorate within his own party?
Saturday, August 22 was indeed a historical day in the annals of Ghana’s Fourth Republic.
It was the day of the ‘R Convention 09’ – Reflect, Rebuild, and Recapture 2012 of Ghana’s largest opposition party, which lost power last December. The 46 or so constitutional amendments passed by the New Patriotic Party were by far the most far reaching reforms since the party was formed 17 years ago. Before then, we were told how the most ‘controversial’ proposal (expansion of the electoral college) was threatening to split the party. Our detractors were hoping to see an all-out punch-up at the Trade Fair Centre, La.
Alas, what they got was nothing more than a decibel higher than the usual heckling that greets the State of the Nation address when delivered by the President of the Republic. Where from all the doomsday predictions? Well, in one corner of the ring, former President J. A. Kufuor was known to be irrevocably against the extension of the franchise to the foot soldiers. In the other corner, former presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo was also seen to be proactively fighting for the expansion. It was seen as a referendum on the popularity of President Kufuor and his protégé on one hand and Nana Akufo-Addo on the other. So once the two camps were not on one side with the reforms all hell should break loose.
What people forgot to appreciate was that it was rather the anti-expansionists, however loud and resourceful, who were sailing against the wind of change. The expansion before it was passed enjoyed the support of an overwhelming majority of the party from top to bottom. Both the National Executive Committee and the National Council of the party endorsed the reforms, rationalised the proposals and sent the national officers out there to market it to the party in the country. The Minority in Parliament, by consensus, endorsed the amendments, including the expansion of the electoral colleges and the short listing of presidential aspirants. Without a doubt, the proposal to grant all 105,000 polling station executives of the party the right to choose who leads the party was the most popular move ever proposed since the NPP Constitution was promulgated in 1992.
What has been baffling, however, is the political (mis)calculation of one man who is seen as a prospective leader of the NPP. The kind of self-serving hypocrisy exhibited by Mr Alan Kwadjo Kyeramaten, the runner up of the 2007 presidential primaries of the NPP, cannot be ignored and should not be ignored. He has shot himself in the foot and by so doing exposed the quality and depth of his leadership credentials. A leader is one who is able to show leadership and direction in times of taking critical decisions that affect the destiny of his flock. A leader takes a position when there are tough decisions to take. Tony Blair ditched Clause IV of the Labour Party constitution (which committed the party to re-nationalisation of privatised states assets) and ended the supremacy of the party conference, just like that of the NPP National Congress. While that Blair move brought the Labour Party of Britain closer to the middle classes, who form the majority of UK voters, the reforms by the Mac Manu-chaired NPP will empower the foot-soldiers of the party, among other things. So why then would a prospective leader, of even a younger generation than Kufuor and Akufo-Addo argue against the most far-reaching of the reforms, the expansion?
I find it most curious that Alan purportedly spoke at the crucial National Council meeting of April 29 for the expansion of the electoral college but chose to keep mute all throughout the heated campaign to win more souls for the amendment. Was it not the same Alan who in 2007 had drawn on paper a strategy called 'Kalamari' which was a campaign strategy to court the Polling Station Executives who in theory had the power to vote for the six of the 10 delegates for the National Congress? When John Kumah, an aid and spokesperson of Alan was interviewed by the media one week before the R Convention ’09, he said Alan had not made up his mind on whether to support the expansion or not. He repeated this until the last day. Mr Kumah even went as far as criticising those who were for the amendment and their campaign tactics. “If they are so confident of victory why are they giving delegates money,” he recklessly alleged on radio, four days before the conference.
Now, the hypocrisy comes in. The same John Kumah told journalists shortly after the anti-expansionist were defeated that Alan was excited about the decision to expand the electoral college and that Alan had “always held the view that, the expansion of the electoral college would help to revive grassroots participation and restore hope and confidence in the NPP.” He also claimed that Alan was the first aspirant who involved polling stations in his campaign even when they were not allowed to vote at conferences and congresses of the party. The Independent newspaper on Monday, August 24, portrayed Alan as a man for the foot-soldiers.
This was followed on Tuesday by a publication in a newspaper that did a lot of PR for Alan in the 2007 flag-bearership contest, The Daily Dispatch, which put Alan and Akufo-Addo on one side as those who were for the expansion and President Kufuor and Hon Isaac Osei, MP for Subin, as those who lost out. Well, at least, Isaac Osei was principled and brave enough to come out a week before the conference to announce on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana that, yes, he was interested in contesting and, no, he didn’t’ think the expansion was equitable enough to be passed. Nana Akufo-Addo also granted interviews to express his support for the expansion.
While Nana Akufo-Addo and Isaac Osei came out to state their positions publicly and actively participated in the discussions and campaign to accept or reject the amendment proposals, Alan Kyeramaten decided to stay mute and hope for a win-win situation. Meaning if the amendments were rejected he wins and now that they have been accepted he can also claim victory. But, the reality was so glaring to be buried by any post-expansion PR exercise. Alan used his presidential campaign machinery to campaign against the proposal to extend the franchise to NPP polling station executives. The people who are leading Alan’s presidential bid today were the same people who were at the forefront of the campaign against the expansion. Paul Afoko and Mohammed Amin Anta (former Tamale MCE) were at the three Northern Regions campaigning against the amendments. In the Volta Region, Kenwood Nuworsu (NPP Regional Chairman) was very instrumental in working against the amendment. In the Ashanti Region, Yaw Amankwa (Regional Chairman), Asare Bediako (Asokwa Chairman) and Nana Adu Asabre (Asante Akim South Chairman), all strong Alan loyalists were going around campaigning against the reforms using the same chat-up lines.
Kwabena Agyepong who is effectively running Alan’s campaign now was the loudest of them all in the few days before the R Convention. On television and radio and assisted by Kwadwo Mpianim, Kwabena Sarpong, Hilda Addo, Frank Agyekum, Frimpong Manso Adakabre and others were effectively pushing the anti-expansion campaign. Kofi Jumah who is leading Alan’s Campaign in Parliament, alongside Dr Richard Anane, were also relentless in their campaign to maintain the status quo. So how hypocritical can Alan get to be now seeking to claim that he was always for the expansion?
Does Alan truly underestimate the intelligence of NPP rank and file? Why did he not also stand up to be counted when the likes of Akufo-Addo, Osafo Marfo, Dan Botwe, Hackman Owusu Agyeman, and O B Amoah stood up like men of conviction? Why did he not identify himself with the expansionists? Clearly, he was against it but was too afraid to stick out his neck so he sent out his ‘men’ to do his bidding for him. But, the most serious question is the one that borders on conviction. Why did Alan make such a radical u-turn to join the anti-expansionists? Was it because President Kufuor asked him to? And, if so, what does that make Alan to Kufuor’s whims and caprices?
It is recalled that President Kufiuor was not in town when the NEC and National Council were holding those crucial meetings at the end of April. He was out on a World Bank assignment. But, when he came back he made his views very clear to the parliamentary caucus of the NPP and to that leaked meeting that took place at his house, attended by both Alan and Akufo-Addo, among others like Kwabena Agyepong and Boniface Siddique. So, if Alan changed his mind because of President Kufuor what is it that President Kufuor revealed to him that was so convincing? I would want to argue that Alan's change of mind could not have been based on any principle or conviction. It was either based on his willingness to do the former President’s bidding or a persuasive argument that an expanded electoral college would not serve his political interest. I believe the last thing the NPP need is unprincipled leadership and leadership without conviction.
After making the case for the amendment, Alan turned around against the amendment because Kufour was against the amendment? What does that make him? An instrument of Kufour or an instrument of the party he wants to lead? But, I am inclined to be charitable and argue that President Kufuor managed to convince Alan that his only chance to win the flagbearership was to maintain the status quo and see how he could influence the majority of the 2340 delegates. But, to risk competing against the much marketed Akufo-Addo for the votes of over 115,000 delegates would be suicidal.
For those who fear that the NPP is being eaten away by factionalism, they should not worry. What the results of the R Convention show is that Alan and Kufuor are not in tune with the pause of the party. By going against the expansion Alan himself has admitted that he is not popular enough to win in a contest against Akufo-Addo. And, by going against the expansion he has made his case worse. It may have been a little different if he had gone with the expansion and associated himself with the party’s foot soldiers.
It simply does not make sense spending money to stage an expansive campaign, the loss of which would nail the coffin of your presidential ambition. It would be a campaign which would be negative, with the Akufo-Addo camp exposing Alan’s anti-expansionism and questioning his commitment to the party he resigned from. Alan’s team, faced with an overwhelming rank and file call for ‘no change’ would be forced to mount a negative, dirty campaign on Akufo-Addo which would also just throw cheap ammunition to the NDC. In fact the NDC would circulate dirty text messages to get NPP to knock heads together.
I believe Alan cannot lose for the second time in a contest that every objective observer knows he cannot win and expect to be taken seriously by the party or to remain relevant in it. It would be a suicidal mission. To me Alan should learn from the 2004 situation. The Kufuor camp expected Akufo-Addo to contest J.A. Kufour, but he refused, bid his time and years later came back strongly to win. If Alan does not contest now and throw his support behind Akufo-Addo, it would make him the ultimate successor.
Already he did the unthinkable by resigning from the NPP and I once argued technically he was disqualified. Because of Alan, a full amendment has been inserted into the constitution to clarify resignations in the NPP. It states; "A member (of NPP) shall cease to be a member by writing and signing a letter addressed to his or her constituency chairperson declaring his or her intention to cease to be a member and forthwith surrendering his or her membership card". Previously the provision on resignation stated; "A member (of NPP) shall cease to be a member by declaring his or her intention to cease to be a member and forthwith surrendering his or her membership card.”
My advice to Alan is that he should not contest the 2010 Presidential Primaries of NPP. If he did, that popularity he and his cabal claim he allegedly commands would be shamefully exposed. Alan (by allowing himself to be influenced by President Kufuor on the expansion) has only succeeded in strengthening Nana Akufo-Addo's standing, clout and influence within the NPP.
So is he now going to change his campaign team or use the same anti-expansionist ringleaders like Kwabena Agyepong to go around the country canvassing delegates’ votes for him? The only person among them who has come out as principled, courageous and loyal to the party is Amin Anta. He spoke his mind at the conference despite the heckling and jeering and immediately after the dye was cast, he came out to publicly support the majority decision. The NPP must focus on such principled men.
Alan's decision to stage a proxy campaign with his campaign team against the expansion has killed off his presidential ambition so far as this expanded electoral college is concerned. It has exposed him as an unprincipled hypocrite. The 115,000 vote question now is: how do you go to the same person you fought against having a vote to now give you his vote? It would be like telling him “I do not think you are good enough to have a vote, but please can I have your vote?” This is not a comfortable position for a man of ambition.
It was the day of the ‘R Convention 09’ – Reflect, Rebuild, and Recapture 2012 of Ghana’s largest opposition party, which lost power last December. The 46 or so constitutional amendments passed by the New Patriotic Party were by far the most far reaching reforms since the party was formed 17 years ago. Before then, we were told how the most ‘controversial’ proposal (expansion of the electoral college) was threatening to split the party. Our detractors were hoping to see an all-out punch-up at the Trade Fair Centre, La.
Alas, what they got was nothing more than a decibel higher than the usual heckling that greets the State of the Nation address when delivered by the President of the Republic. Where from all the doomsday predictions? Well, in one corner of the ring, former President J. A. Kufuor was known to be irrevocably against the extension of the franchise to the foot soldiers. In the other corner, former presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo was also seen to be proactively fighting for the expansion. It was seen as a referendum on the popularity of President Kufuor and his protégé on one hand and Nana Akufo-Addo on the other. So once the two camps were not on one side with the reforms all hell should break loose.
What people forgot to appreciate was that it was rather the anti-expansionists, however loud and resourceful, who were sailing against the wind of change. The expansion before it was passed enjoyed the support of an overwhelming majority of the party from top to bottom. Both the National Executive Committee and the National Council of the party endorsed the reforms, rationalised the proposals and sent the national officers out there to market it to the party in the country. The Minority in Parliament, by consensus, endorsed the amendments, including the expansion of the electoral colleges and the short listing of presidential aspirants. Without a doubt, the proposal to grant all 105,000 polling station executives of the party the right to choose who leads the party was the most popular move ever proposed since the NPP Constitution was promulgated in 1992.
What has been baffling, however, is the political (mis)calculation of one man who is seen as a prospective leader of the NPP. The kind of self-serving hypocrisy exhibited by Mr Alan Kwadjo Kyeramaten, the runner up of the 2007 presidential primaries of the NPP, cannot be ignored and should not be ignored. He has shot himself in the foot and by so doing exposed the quality and depth of his leadership credentials. A leader is one who is able to show leadership and direction in times of taking critical decisions that affect the destiny of his flock. A leader takes a position when there are tough decisions to take. Tony Blair ditched Clause IV of the Labour Party constitution (which committed the party to re-nationalisation of privatised states assets) and ended the supremacy of the party conference, just like that of the NPP National Congress. While that Blair move brought the Labour Party of Britain closer to the middle classes, who form the majority of UK voters, the reforms by the Mac Manu-chaired NPP will empower the foot-soldiers of the party, among other things. So why then would a prospective leader, of even a younger generation than Kufuor and Akufo-Addo argue against the most far-reaching of the reforms, the expansion?
I find it most curious that Alan purportedly spoke at the crucial National Council meeting of April 29 for the expansion of the electoral college but chose to keep mute all throughout the heated campaign to win more souls for the amendment. Was it not the same Alan who in 2007 had drawn on paper a strategy called 'Kalamari' which was a campaign strategy to court the Polling Station Executives who in theory had the power to vote for the six of the 10 delegates for the National Congress? When John Kumah, an aid and spokesperson of Alan was interviewed by the media one week before the R Convention ’09, he said Alan had not made up his mind on whether to support the expansion or not. He repeated this until the last day. Mr Kumah even went as far as criticising those who were for the amendment and their campaign tactics. “If they are so confident of victory why are they giving delegates money,” he recklessly alleged on radio, four days before the conference.
Now, the hypocrisy comes in. The same John Kumah told journalists shortly after the anti-expansionist were defeated that Alan was excited about the decision to expand the electoral college and that Alan had “always held the view that, the expansion of the electoral college would help to revive grassroots participation and restore hope and confidence in the NPP.” He also claimed that Alan was the first aspirant who involved polling stations in his campaign even when they were not allowed to vote at conferences and congresses of the party. The Independent newspaper on Monday, August 24, portrayed Alan as a man for the foot-soldiers.
This was followed on Tuesday by a publication in a newspaper that did a lot of PR for Alan in the 2007 flag-bearership contest, The Daily Dispatch, which put Alan and Akufo-Addo on one side as those who were for the expansion and President Kufuor and Hon Isaac Osei, MP for Subin, as those who lost out. Well, at least, Isaac Osei was principled and brave enough to come out a week before the conference to announce on Metro TV’s Good Evening Ghana that, yes, he was interested in contesting and, no, he didn’t’ think the expansion was equitable enough to be passed. Nana Akufo-Addo also granted interviews to express his support for the expansion.
While Nana Akufo-Addo and Isaac Osei came out to state their positions publicly and actively participated in the discussions and campaign to accept or reject the amendment proposals, Alan Kyeramaten decided to stay mute and hope for a win-win situation. Meaning if the amendments were rejected he wins and now that they have been accepted he can also claim victory. But, the reality was so glaring to be buried by any post-expansion PR exercise. Alan used his presidential campaign machinery to campaign against the proposal to extend the franchise to NPP polling station executives. The people who are leading Alan’s presidential bid today were the same people who were at the forefront of the campaign against the expansion. Paul Afoko and Mohammed Amin Anta (former Tamale MCE) were at the three Northern Regions campaigning against the amendments. In the Volta Region, Kenwood Nuworsu (NPP Regional Chairman) was very instrumental in working against the amendment. In the Ashanti Region, Yaw Amankwa (Regional Chairman), Asare Bediako (Asokwa Chairman) and Nana Adu Asabre (Asante Akim South Chairman), all strong Alan loyalists were going around campaigning against the reforms using the same chat-up lines.
Kwabena Agyepong who is effectively running Alan’s campaign now was the loudest of them all in the few days before the R Convention. On television and radio and assisted by Kwadwo Mpianim, Kwabena Sarpong, Hilda Addo, Frank Agyekum, Frimpong Manso Adakabre and others were effectively pushing the anti-expansion campaign. Kofi Jumah who is leading Alan’s Campaign in Parliament, alongside Dr Richard Anane, were also relentless in their campaign to maintain the status quo. So how hypocritical can Alan get to be now seeking to claim that he was always for the expansion?
Does Alan truly underestimate the intelligence of NPP rank and file? Why did he not also stand up to be counted when the likes of Akufo-Addo, Osafo Marfo, Dan Botwe, Hackman Owusu Agyeman, and O B Amoah stood up like men of conviction? Why did he not identify himself with the expansionists? Clearly, he was against it but was too afraid to stick out his neck so he sent out his ‘men’ to do his bidding for him. But, the most serious question is the one that borders on conviction. Why did Alan make such a radical u-turn to join the anti-expansionists? Was it because President Kufuor asked him to? And, if so, what does that make Alan to Kufuor’s whims and caprices?
It is recalled that President Kufiuor was not in town when the NEC and National Council were holding those crucial meetings at the end of April. He was out on a World Bank assignment. But, when he came back he made his views very clear to the parliamentary caucus of the NPP and to that leaked meeting that took place at his house, attended by both Alan and Akufo-Addo, among others like Kwabena Agyepong and Boniface Siddique. So, if Alan changed his mind because of President Kufuor what is it that President Kufuor revealed to him that was so convincing? I would want to argue that Alan's change of mind could not have been based on any principle or conviction. It was either based on his willingness to do the former President’s bidding or a persuasive argument that an expanded electoral college would not serve his political interest. I believe the last thing the NPP need is unprincipled leadership and leadership without conviction.
After making the case for the amendment, Alan turned around against the amendment because Kufour was against the amendment? What does that make him? An instrument of Kufour or an instrument of the party he wants to lead? But, I am inclined to be charitable and argue that President Kufuor managed to convince Alan that his only chance to win the flagbearership was to maintain the status quo and see how he could influence the majority of the 2340 delegates. But, to risk competing against the much marketed Akufo-Addo for the votes of over 115,000 delegates would be suicidal.
For those who fear that the NPP is being eaten away by factionalism, they should not worry. What the results of the R Convention show is that Alan and Kufuor are not in tune with the pause of the party. By going against the expansion Alan himself has admitted that he is not popular enough to win in a contest against Akufo-Addo. And, by going against the expansion he has made his case worse. It may have been a little different if he had gone with the expansion and associated himself with the party’s foot soldiers.
It simply does not make sense spending money to stage an expansive campaign, the loss of which would nail the coffin of your presidential ambition. It would be a campaign which would be negative, with the Akufo-Addo camp exposing Alan’s anti-expansionism and questioning his commitment to the party he resigned from. Alan’s team, faced with an overwhelming rank and file call for ‘no change’ would be forced to mount a negative, dirty campaign on Akufo-Addo which would also just throw cheap ammunition to the NDC. In fact the NDC would circulate dirty text messages to get NPP to knock heads together.
I believe Alan cannot lose for the second time in a contest that every objective observer knows he cannot win and expect to be taken seriously by the party or to remain relevant in it. It would be a suicidal mission. To me Alan should learn from the 2004 situation. The Kufuor camp expected Akufo-Addo to contest J.A. Kufour, but he refused, bid his time and years later came back strongly to win. If Alan does not contest now and throw his support behind Akufo-Addo, it would make him the ultimate successor.
Already he did the unthinkable by resigning from the NPP and I once argued technically he was disqualified. Because of Alan, a full amendment has been inserted into the constitution to clarify resignations in the NPP. It states; "A member (of NPP) shall cease to be a member by writing and signing a letter addressed to his or her constituency chairperson declaring his or her intention to cease to be a member and forthwith surrendering his or her membership card". Previously the provision on resignation stated; "A member (of NPP) shall cease to be a member by declaring his or her intention to cease to be a member and forthwith surrendering his or her membership card.”
My advice to Alan is that he should not contest the 2010 Presidential Primaries of NPP. If he did, that popularity he and his cabal claim he allegedly commands would be shamefully exposed. Alan (by allowing himself to be influenced by President Kufuor on the expansion) has only succeeded in strengthening Nana Akufo-Addo's standing, clout and influence within the NPP.
So is he now going to change his campaign team or use the same anti-expansionist ringleaders like Kwabena Agyepong to go around the country canvassing delegates’ votes for him? The only person among them who has come out as principled, courageous and loyal to the party is Amin Anta. He spoke his mind at the conference despite the heckling and jeering and immediately after the dye was cast, he came out to publicly support the majority decision. The NPP must focus on such principled men.
Alan's decision to stage a proxy campaign with his campaign team against the expansion has killed off his presidential ambition so far as this expanded electoral college is concerned. It has exposed him as an unprincipled hypocrite. The 115,000 vote question now is: how do you go to the same person you fought against having a vote to now give you his vote? It would be like telling him “I do not think you are good enough to have a vote, but please can I have your vote?” This is not a comfortable position for a man of ambition.
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