Alan K Hits US For NPP Votes

Twice-defeated flagbearer aspirant of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen, has started a vigorous campaign with intent to become the next presidential candidate of the party ahead of the 2016 general elections. To achieve this objective, he has taken his campaign to the United States of America to canvass for support from members of the party there; even though the party is yet to open nominations for prospective candidates to file. He has reportedly been holding �strategic� meetings with party faithful in his bid to upstage Nana Akufo-Addo � the party�s two-time presidential candidate. During one of such meetings which he had with members of the NPP in Bronx, New York, Alan Cash, as he is fondly called, touted his credentials as a grassroots man who does not only appeal to the core members of the NPP, but also floating voters who often decide the fate of the national elections. Self Esteem �From what I see and what I hear, the advantage I have is that I have an appeal somehow to these floating voters,� he told the gathering, adding, �I still believe that we need to be able to elect a candidate who the people of Ghana will vote for because it is all about power; any other consideration must be secondary.� Furthermore, Alan Cash said, �I want to be very upfront�I think that we have our own senior brother, Nana Akufo-Addo. He�s represented the party very well on two previous occasions. �Unfortunately however,� he noted, �For whatever reason, it�s not been possible for us to get into power. I think that we must explore other opportunities and that is why I will be putting myself up as a candidate when the nominations open; and I am here to seek your support.� He therefore wanted the NPP as a party and its several delegates to change Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and make him (Allan) the party�s flagbearer for the crucial 2016 general elections. This, he said, was because, �I will be able to lead effective grassroots machinery which is what I said the party needs; anybody who has followed our campaign knows that is something that can be given to me.� Challenge For him, the challenge that lies ahead of the NPP is not one that has to do with convincing its own members to vote for the party since according to him, �Almost invariably, you can imagine that if everything goes well, you can expect that our core voters will vote for us. The difference lies in how we convince the swing voters; floating voters.� The former Trade and Industry Minister under the erstwhile Kufuor-led NPP administrated emphasized, �So whichever way we look at it, let us try and understand the psychology of these swing voters�because indeed if they were going to vote on party lines, there would be no floating voters. They are swing voters because they are not aligned necessarily to any party.� He said, �We have a margin of between 300,000 and 500,000 who decide the final vote and so I ask for your support because if indeed we can all work together to put me as the next flagbearer, I can assure you that 2016, we will be back in power.� Focus For him, the main focus of the NPP should be how to get back power, telling the party faithful �whatever it takes for us to get into power in 2016; that is what we ought to do.� He noted, �I am saying at all costs because the thought of not being in power in 2016 is so frightening that it is difficult to contemplate.� In order to get power, he stressed the need to first fix the party and choose a leader who would deliver the power, which he claims he sees in himself.