Bawumia To Replace Akufo-Addo

As many Ghanaians wonder why an opposition party hoping to unseat a government in power will further heighten tension within its camp with the indefinite suspension of its National Chairman; The aL-hAJJ can confirm that Paul Afoko’s suspension is in line with Nana Akufo Addo’s long drawn plot to ensure Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is eventually installed NPP flag bearer.

It would be recalled that this paper, in a series of publications early this year, revealed how Nana Akufo-Addo and his coterie of political hangers-on had schemed to remain in control of the party by getting Nana Akufo-Addo to secure the 2016 flag bearer position of the opposition party.

Even though it has been his childhood dream becoming president of Ghana one day, Nana Akufo-Addo, at age 70 plus, and following advice from his physicians, had originally wanted to sponsor his protégé, Dr Bawumia, to contest the last flag bearer contest of the NPP.

However, it was later realized that he (Bawumia) would be unable to go pass the likes of Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten, Addai Nimo etc.; therefore, Nana Akufo-Addo took a gamble, risked his health, contested the primaries and secured a landslide victory.

But, as nobody cheats nature, the reality is suddenly but gradually catching up with the NPP 2016 elected flag bearer who is now compelled to activate his plan ‘B’; preparing the red carpet for his “only beloved” son, Dr Bawumia, to ascend the thrown as he (Nana Addo), from all indications, would be unable to go through the arduous and rigorous campaign in 2016.

The previous arrangement, this paper has been told, was for Nana Akufo-Addo to secure the flag bearer post and later surrender it to his twice running mate, Dr Bawumia, who, this paper had earlier rightly predicted, will be nominated for the third time as soon as Nana Akufo-Addo won the flag bearer contest.

Dr Bawumia’s hasty nominations as running mate, which is believed to be alien to internal party procedures, was to afford him the opportunity to warm his way into the hearts of NPP folks ahead of a formal “announcement” introducing him as replacer for Nana Akufo few weeks to the close of filing of nominations with the Electoral Commission.

In order not to be chided for wanting to install a Northerner as flag bearer going into the 2016 elections when the party National Chairman, Paul Afoko, is also coming from the north; Akufo-Addo and his controlling national officers, this paper has gathered, scheme to ensure Afoko is removed, long before the twice defeated presidential candidate officially surrender the flag bearer slot to Dr Bawumia.

Sources disclosed to The aL-hAJJ that when Paul Afoko announced his intention to contest the National Chairman post, it was thought by pro-Akufo-Addo loyalists that Paul Afoko’s election as chairman was likely to scuttle this “prearrangement” since he (Paul) is also a northerner like Dr Bawumia.

In the case of Kwabena Agyapong, it was believed that he would kick against arrangements to replace Nana Akufo-Addo with Dr Bawumia when elected General Secretary because they say he has presidential ambition, as a result; all efforts were made to cause the defeat of the duo at the Tamale congress, but they sailed through.

After Afoko and Kwabena Agyapong now being in charge and with their insistence on the right thing to be done in the party, it became apparent the pair would not kowtow to the “Bawumia” project, hence the plan to get them kicked out of office.
However, when several attempts to get the two embattled executives impeached failed, especially when Ashanti and Brong Ahafo regions kicked against the plot, Nana Akufo-Addo and his men agreed to single out Afoko; to push in more effort to get him out of the way before turning attention on Kwabena Agyapong.

To execute the plot of getting Afoko out, two senior members of the party from the North, Alhaji Mohammed Aminu and Alhaji Sulemana Yirimea where purposely encouraged to petition the NPP’s Disciplinary Committee after lawyers for Paul Afoko challenged the capacity of the party’s Council of Elders who had earlier embarked on similar move.

The National Executive Committee (NEC) of the party last week unanimously voted to suspend Paul Afoko indefinitely. NEC’s decision was said to be based on recommendations of the Disciplinary Committee to suspend the Bolgatanga-born Paul Afoko.

While this has left many surprised as it is believed this development will further deepen cracks in the party, Nana Akufo-Addo and his acolytes are said to be least bothered about it as what happened last week was something they long yearn for in order to pave the way for Dr Bawumia, another Northern born politician, to rise to stardom.