Nana Addo Ruffles NDC

The ongoing �Listening Tour� of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo appears to have ruffled leading members of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), with many of them questioning the campaign strategy. While presidential aide Nii Lante Vanderpuye poured cold water over the tour and described the NPP 2012 flag-bearer as a man who would not win any vote from Ghanaians, Johnson Asiedu-Nketia, General Secretary of the party and multi million Bui block manufacturer, said Nana Akufo-Addo would be more useful continuing as an opposition leader and championing the cause of the minority. The NPP leader has so far toured parts of the Eastern and Central regions, with frustrated and hard pressed Ghanaians trooping to him and voicing their concerns. He is currently on his first phase of the campaign tour to the Ashanti region, which has suddenly rattled the NDC and its activists in what an analyst described as �Nanaphobia gripping the ruling party�. In a quick rebuttal of Nii Lante Vanderpuye�s remark on an Asempa FM programme, however, Alhaji Iddrisu Bature, an NDC apologist, cautioned his colleagues against such utterances, as they could be detrimental to the electoral fortunes of the NDC in 2012. In his rating of the recently-held Sunyani congress of the NDC, Nii Lante Vanderpuye, notorious for his abrasive tongue, said it is tougher than the forthcoming 2012 elections which for him would be a walkover for the ruling party, though the NDC�s internal strife threatens to tear the party apart. He wondered who in Ghana would vote for Nana Akufo-Addo, saying, �Ghanaians should be real for who will vote for Nana Akufo-Addo when he runs against President Mills? Who is Nana Akufo-Addo? Nobody will vote for him,� forgetting that Nana Addo defeated Mills in the first round of the 2008 presidential polls. In his reaction, Alhaji Iddrisu Bature demurred and cautioned Nii Lante against underestimating the opposition NPP and simplifying the 2012 polls. Offering the Mills boy some lessons in politics, he said he should pick a leaf from his boss President Mills�s book by taking the path of sobriety, devoid of provocative remarks. �President Mills would never under any provocation ask who is Nana Akufo Addo and I think NDC is getting it wrong,� he said. Alhaji Bature advised the NDC against making Nana Akufo-Addo the focus of their campaign message, as by that way, the party could head for a humiliating defeat in 2012. An equally ruffled Asiedu-Nketia arrogantly queried Nana Akufo-Addo, saying that even the votes he had as the general secretary of his party were more than what Nana might get in the presidential election. While speaking on Citi FM, he said acerbically that had Nana sought his views before the tour, �I would have told him that he is a very good opposition leader and the democracy and the interest of the country would be better served if he remained a vibrant opposition leader to be pushing for minority views in the system, not to be President of Ghana.� Turning his attention to NPP Chairman Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, he said the man had lost credibility, having had his predictions failing to come to pass. Returning fire, Campaign Manager of Nana Akufo-Addo Boakye Agyarko said the NDC General Secretary lacked the moral authority to counsel the NPP flag-bearer. He asked the NDC scribe to first address the challenges of his party, explaining that the NDC is faced with a palpable implosion, having also lost grip on power. �If Asiedu-Nketia and the NDC have anything to say, they should say to themselves. Their own party is not listening to them, they are in disarray so if he wants to do anything, he has to learn to listen to his party first and foremost� the NDC has a huge and bigger problem on its head. You have just gone and disgraced your founder who is the foundation of your ideological underpinning. They have a bigger problem; they should go and solve that,� Mr. Agyarko fired at Asiedu Nketia and the NDC.