Akufo-Addo�s Candidates Revealed

It was only for political gimmick and sheer populism when Nana Akufo-Addo, issued a statement warning aspirants in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) national executives race to desist from using his influence as part of their campaign for tomorrow�s National Delegates� Conference in the Northern Regional capital, Tamale. Barely twenty four hours to the Tamale conference, a list has popped up from the innermost part of Nana Addo�s camp, detailing personalities the twice defeated presidential candidate wants party delegates to vote for as National Executives. Tomorrow�s event, has been massaged as ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor, has technically boycotted the National Delegates� Conference by flying to the United States of America (USA), leaving the whole event to be stage-managed by Nana Akufo-Addo. Interestingly, missing on Nana Addo�s list in possession of The Herald is the name of Jake Obestebi-Lamptey, the current National Chairman, who is seeking re-election in a race between his Vice Chair, Fred Oware, Paul Afoko and Steven Ntim. On the list are; Fred Oware as National Chairman, Freddie Blay as First Vice-Chairman, Kwadwo Owusu-Afriyie alias Sir John as General Secretary, John Boadu as National Organizer, Sammi Awuku as National Youth Organizer, Mawusi Nudekor Awity as National Women Organizer and Esther Ofori as National Treasurer. The Herald is reliably informed that Mr. Obetsebi-Lamptey, fell out of favour with Akufo-Addo camp, because of his alleged misapplication of party funds in the run up to the 2012 Presidential campaign. Again, despite helping Nana Addo to have a firm grip on the party, through the dismissed election petition at the Supreme Court, the generality of the party does not like him. Indeed, inside sources, told The Herald that the party�s 114 parliamentarians dislike him. Incumbent General Secretary, Owusu-Afriyie, has fallen out with ex-President John Kufuor, but a favourite of Nana Addo. Kwabena Agyei Agyapong is ex-President Kufuor�s candidate, as the Nana Addo�s camp accuses him of arrogance, bad body language, superiority complex and bad choice of words. Mr. Agyapong, once told Nana Addo that he was too old and unattractive to lead the NPP and win a presidential election, so supported Alan Kyeremanten for the 2012 NPP Presidential primary. He is even accused of being part of a group favouring what Sir John called �Agenda 2020� with Alan Kyeremanten as NPP flagbearer. Sammi Awuku, is highly tipped to win the National Youth Organizer slot, as he is backed by Nana Addo. Interestingly, self-made men like Michael Ampong and Richard Nyamah, don�t have any chance against Sammi whose main job has been talking on radio, crying loudly about poverty, even as he buys plushy cars and builds expensive houses at prime areas, even though a student and jobless. Quite shockingly, however, Nana Addo has been making phone calls to Richard Nyamah, impressing upon him to step down for the former Deputy Director of Communications; Sammi who prior to this contest, had wanted to go to Parliament as MP for Akropong in the Eastern Region, but now Lawyer Kwame Boafo Akuffo is expected to be cruising to Parliament. Fred Oware, the former Chief Executive of Bui Power and owner of Accra based Choice FM is Nana Addo�s man. He has all along posed as someone, who was nonaligned to either Kufuor Bloc or the Nana Addo Bloc, but Nana Addo�s activists are campaigning for him to take over the chairmanship from Jake, who is now distraught. Steve Ntim, another contestant for the chairmanship like Jake is also nowhere. He is mad at ex-President Kufuor saying, he was not given state contracts after years of supporting his government. This is his third attempt, but as usual won�t make any meaningful impact unlike Paul Afoko, who is set to make Nana Addo�s candidate; Fred Oware, sweat. Mr. Freddie Blay, the former Deputy Speaker of Parliament and owner of Accra based Daily Guide newspaper, who officially joined the NPP few years ago, after years of flirting with it, is visible on Nana Addo�s list as First Vice Chairman. The Herald�s lenses captured Mr Blay in the entourage of Nana Addo, as they landed in Tamale together yesterday. Mr. Blay, will be holding on to this position, waiting to later battle Prof. Aaron Mike Ocquaye for the position of Speaker of Parliament if Nana Addo is elected President in 2016. Mr. Blay, Prof. Ocquaye and another man, have all been promised the speakership by Nana Addo unbeknown to all three. The rest are, John Boadu, former National Youth Organizer vying for the position of National Organizer, Madam Esther Ofori, the ex-Chief Executive of the Trade Fair Company Limited for National Treasurer, Madam Mawusi Nudekor Awitty for the National Women�s Organizer for Nana Akufo-Addo�s purported victory in 2016. The list according to The Herald � s sources, is widely circulated among delegates, especially those from the Eastern Region, Western Region, Ashanti Region and Brong Ahafo Region with handlers telling the delegates who and who are the favourites of the twice trounced presidential candidate, as he eyes a third attempt at the Presidency. The Herald is reliably informed that the chieftain at the helm of the circulation of the Nana Akufo- Addo list is Dr. Amoako Tuffour, the former Director of the National School -feeding Programme and former campaign Manager for the late Vice President, Aliu Mahama. Dr. Amoako Tuffour, it is reported has been talking to some of the people he awarded school feeding contracts to, convincing them support Nana Addo�s choice. Meanwhile, Paul Afoko, is alleging there�s a clique within the NPP national leadership that is determined to run him down, ahead of the delegates� conference. His accusation, follows the alleged leakage of a private letter he wrote to the party�s leadership about some concerns he has with procedures for voting and counting of ballots at the delegates� conference. Without mentioning names in a letter to the party�s election committee, Mr. Afoko said, article 9 of the party�s Constitution bars certain individuals from voting at the conference. According to the April 7, 2014 letter, �Section 2(i) of this article gives us the membership of the National Executive Committee. However, Section C (2ii) states that �Chairpersons of sector committees, past national chairpersons, past Presidential candidates, past running mates, past general secretaries, directors at the national secretariat and such other members as the national executive committee may determine shall be entitled to attend meetings of the national executive committee but without the right to vote.� Aides to Nana Akufo-Addo including, Mustapha Hamid, have accused Mr. Afoko of indirectly targeting the former Attorney General and his former running mate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia with his letter. Yesterday, Mr. Afoko wondered why the letter was leaked even when the party is yet to officially respond to his concerns. He said, he suspects there�s a grand plot to do him in. However, acting director of communications for the NPP, Perry Okudzeto, denied claims that the leadership of the party leaked Mr. Afoko�s letter to the media. He also says the concerns Mr. Afoko raised in the letter have already been addressed.