Sekou Nkrumah Okays Nana Akufo Addo

BARELY A week after resigning as a member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), the controversial son of Ghana�s first President, Dr Sekou Nkrumah has made yet another political somersault by declaring support for the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and its Presidential Candidate for the 2012 general elections, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. In an extensive interview with Daily Guide over the weekend, Sekou, who touts himself as a political animal, said as a politician he could not operate in a vacuum or in isolation, stating that �the poor performance of the NDC government leaves one with very little choice in support for the government in power; that is if we are looking at what is in the interest of Ghana at the present time.� He noted: �I think it will be in order to declare support for Nana Akufo-Addo�, adding that the NDC government had failed Ghanaians and for that matter did not deserve another term in office. He was however not forthright on the question of joining the NPP, since he did not share in its philosophy, arguing that �at some point, we all need to put Ghana first and sacrifice for that�. Sekou disclosed that President Mills and his government had not been able to impress him along with millions of other Ghanaians who thought their living conditions would be better under an NDC administration. �At least there were even a few initiatives done by the NPP� he said, citing the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and the National Youth Employment Programme (NYEP). �They (NPP) came up with a few idea initiatives that when NDC came to power could even continue with and build on,� he stated, adding, �The NDC didn�t seem to have a plan before coming to power.� He said this reflected what he described as the �ideological bankruptcy of the NDC� which was becoming very clear now. He noted that though the NDC was founded on the ideals of its founder and former President Jerry John Rawlings �even he himself cannot define or explain that vision; what he represents�. For this reason, �I think a support for Akufo-Addo�s Presidential bid or ambition will be in order and I can put my services at his disposal,� an obviously-disappointed former boss of the National Youth Council (NYC) told the paper. Sekou thus encouraged Ghanaians to vote for the NPP and Akufo-Addo in the next elections. �It will be hypocritical to promote or support the NDC for the NDC to continue being in power,� he said, stressing commitment to join Akudo-Addo�s campaign. �If I am making this decision today to support Akufo-Addo�s Presidential bid�owing by that move I am making today, those at the other side of the political divide will come and support my bid,� he noted. Much as he would love to join a party that traced its roots to the Nkrumah ideology such as the CPP and the PNC, he said those parties had a long way to go in terms of becoming a strong force in the country�s politics. Sekou believed his continued stay in the NDC would have been an impediment on his sister�s (Samia) intention to revive his father�s party, the Convention People�s Party (CPP), which is virtually dormant and has outlived its relevance in Ghanaian politics except with one seat in Parliament.