The Editor-In-Chief of the New Crusading Guide, Malik Kwaku Baako has rubbished media reports that flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo Addo is suffering from indecision hence the delay in announcing a running mate.
To him, it is a complete �joke� for people to reach the conclusion that because of the NPP flagbearer�s alleged indecision over the choice of who partners him in 2012, he cannot rule the country, adding that �Nana Addo does have a belly laugh over some of these unnecessary noises�.
Speculations had been rife on Tuesday that the NPP flagbearer would be presenting his choice of a running mate to the Council of Elders of the party for their acceptance or rejection.
But he deferred announcing who runs with him in this year�s presidential elections thus opening himself up to be flayed. Critics, mainly the press sympathetic to the cause of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) described Nana Akufo-Addo as indecisive and pandering to the dictates of some top echelons of the party.
But contributing to discussions on Peace FM�s Kokrokoo Morning Show, the newspaper editor dismissed the claims saying �the NPP stated publicly that Nana Addo will choose his running mate within the first quarter of 2012, which ends in March so what is the brouhaha about�.
��it�s a big joke, there�s no case. All this noise about he�s chosen this person and he�s indecisive�if you know the details as I do,�it�s a big joke�if Nana Addo decides to announce his running mate tomorrow or in March it�s still within the first quarter of the year so people should stop the unnecessary propaganda�people have sat down, created their own distortions and myths and inviting us to interrogate those distortions as part of a political campaign; it�s a joke,� Kweku Baako stated.
He was emphatic that the NPP flagbearer will not tune his ears to listen to some of these propagandists because they mean nothing to him.
�Nana Addo is not wasting his time. He�s not wasting his ears on these matters because they mean nothing�he will only laugh them off,� he added.
Sounding more like an NPP insider, Kweku Baako asserted that �as at this material moment, Nana Addo�s preferred choice is Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and that is what he will present to the party�s council of elders�.
He added that he does not ever recall anywhere in the annals of the NPP�s political history that a presidential candidate has presented his preferred choice of a running mate to a Council and the choice was rejected. He however conceded that there are always broad consultations and debates prior to the announcing of the choice of a running mate by the candidate.
�Another distortion I heard yesterday was that in 2008, Nana was all for Hajia Alima but that was shot down by the Council. Let me tell you the truth about the last one.�Nana Addo�s original choice of a running mate for 2008 was Malik Yakubu but he (Nana) dropped him because of the Dagbon politics�and that was pre-council; before the council met formally�He (Nana Addo) also considered Hajia Alima but she was dropped�the only name Nana Addo presented to the NPP Council of Elders was Bawumia, and that is what will happen this time round�though some names have come up now (2012), at the end of broad consultations, he will present his preferred choice to the Council which is Bawumia,� he said.
He was emphatic that lobbying for selection not election as a running mate is �natural� in every political party �worth its salt.�
��I know of no political party that doesn�t face such scenarios unless of course that party is a dead organism. But I�ll be surprised if there�s a political party worth its salt that faces no competition and no lobbying when a running mate is about to be named. Then it�s a dead organization and its not worth even thinking of going to a competition,� Kweku Baako surmised.
Source: Beatrice Adepa Frempong/Peacefmonline.com
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