How Important Is Ex-President Kufuor�s Vote Anyway?

The media have always created a mountain out of a mole hill and that is precisely what we are doing to the decision of the ex-President, John Agyekum Kufuor, who said he was not going to vote in tomorrow�s National Delegates Congress of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to elect a flagbearer for the 2012 Presidential election. This was not the first time the ex-President, had decided not to vote in a crucial decider, he took the same decision when the party was going for the Super Delegates Congress to prune down the number of aspirants from seven to five. Why must this be different, why must heavens break loose, because the ex-President has decided to exercise his inalienable right to vote or not. Even in the national election, he has the right to either vote or not vote. It is an open secret that in the 2007 primaries, where 17 people paraded themselves to succeed President John Kufuor, the President supported the candidature of Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten, and that angered a lot of the party faithful. The same allegation came up in the 2010 primary that was contested by Alan Kyeremanten again, in both the 2007 and 2010 primaries, the ex-President voted, so if he decides now that he was not going to vote, I do not see why people, should split heads about this. President Kufuor is one of the astute politicians of our time, I disagree with him on so many decisions he took as a President, but I cannot take away the fact that he has earned his respect and admiration. Whether he vote or not, what difference will it make, his favourite Alan Kyeremanten, that is if he still is, will lose to Nana Addo. The important task ahead of the NPP is not who leads the party, as it prepares for the 2016 elections, but rather will the party win. Our elders have a saying that, what a child climbs a tree to look at, an elderly does that sitting. President Kufuor, might looked into the crystal ball and have seen that although Nana Addo, will win the primary, he will lose in the general election, so it will be waste of time and effort for him to go and cast his ballot. Whatever you do people will talk, whether you do good or bad. When ex-President Jerry John Rawlings decided that he was going quiet over what is happening in the country, a lot of people took him on, accusing him of some many things, yet not too long ago, when he was pointing out the rot that was fast engulfing the country, some referred to him as a barking Dog. Now is the turn of President Kufuor, who was described severally by many of his supporters that he is a Statesman to also sit back and observe. If it was ideal and convenient to describe him as such, when issues of national importance are concern, why not hail him now. I read somewhere of the condemnation by Dr. Konadu Apraku, of all the people, I was expecting to criticize him for such a decision . Dr. Apraku is yet to appreciate and accept his place in the NPP and Ghanaian politics. In the scheme of things, he does not matter; his party does not see him as being relevant to the survival and sustenance of the party. A new entrant Adai Nimoh, made the list of five out of the seven who contested in the Super Delegates Congress, yet Dr Konadu Apraku, who has been there for long, failed to make the list, yet he has the mouth to talk. I agree with the decision of President John Agyekum Kufuor not to vote tomorrow, it was the best decision that will go a long way to help dispel the notion that he supports one individual. Nana Addo, will contest as many times as his party will elect him to, but Ghanaians do not want him as their leader. All the ugly noise about why President Kufuor is not voting is coming from the camp of Nana Addo. Nana Addo winning the primary tomorrow will not be news, what will be news is when he losses, which will be one of the miracles of our time, President Kufuor�s vote will not deny him a win, so we should just let the man be. It is understandable that the media is always foraging for news and most often bad news, but wasting precious time discussing why President Kufuor is not voting will not advance anybody�s cause, neither will it help in solving the numerous problems facing this country.