For starters, I write this piece, as a professional Political Communications Specialist, Political Campaign Strategist, Writer, and an Accredited Member of the Institute of Public Relations (IPR), Ghana 🇬ðŸ‡.
I have had to set the record straight not because I believe some people will refrain from slanting the piece with their untrue opinion, but because I believe the majority of righteous minds, will accept the principled premise of my thoughts.
Tomorrow, Saturday, November 4, 2023, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), will be gathering across the 16 Regions and 275 constituencies to make a determination as to the Party’s (not any individual’s) choice of a Candidate to take over from President Akufo-Addo and bear the responsibility of leading the elephant into to battle in next year’s general election.
Straight to the point, and in order of their appearance on the Notice of Polls, Kennedy Agyepong, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Dr. Afriyie Akoto, and Engineer Francis Addai-Nimo, are the four persons pitching to garner majority of votes in order to be declared winner.
By and large, the technical aspects of the preparation for the contest seems to be wrapping-up smoothly with no complaints coming from any of the candidates nor their associates vis-a-vis untoward acts to disadvantage them.
Likewise, there is no known account of any of the candidates being denied access to delegates in any part of the country.
Ipso facto, all the necessary foundations have been laid and structures erected; what is left is for the roofing to be well done tomorrow.
However, certain aspects of the narrative from a particular candidate, reached near-corrosive levels - which may seem normal to some lines of thought, but also highly unacceptable to other lines of thought.
For those who believe that “politics is a dirty game” (I do not believe in this maxim), they may be enjoying the corrosive narrative but many others too find it extremely offensive and distasteful.
Especially when incredulous allegations are thrown around without any shred of evidence, it leaves the perpetrators of such accusations orbiting in realms of filth and stench.
Whether anyone likes it or not, Dr. Bawumia is the sitting Vice President of the Republic of Ghana 🇬ðŸ‡, and any vile allegations leveled against him, have the capacity to affect the Sovereign Image of the Republic - and my sacred duty as a Ghanaian is to defend the Republic with all my strength, will and might now and always.
Indeed, some minds have been blown in the direction of an imminent implosion after tomorrow - and that seems to be the wish of some people who believe an implosion is what will inure to their search for power.
However, yesterday, Thursday, November 2, 2023, the NPP succeeded in pulling a solid Public Relations gem out of the fire,and striking the right cords from an optical perspective.
At the Headquarters of the Party, the four contestants were present to append signatures to what I refer to as the “Non-Aggression Pact”.
In the “Non-Aggression Pact”, the contestants have, inter alia, vowed not to break away and also pledged support to whoever emerges, winner.
In other words, the sparks of the wished-for implosion, have been doused with tact and finesse.
A picture of, President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia, in a non-contrived hearty moment with Kennedy Agyepong, speaks volumes about the commendable accommodating nature of the President and his Vice President.
I can speak to the accommodating nature of the President and Vice President with a fair amount of authority because it is the accommodating nature of the President that made him accommodate my humble request for Asomdwe Park to be built, and both the President and Vice were present to commission the project to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the passing-to-glory of President John Evans Atta-Mills, on July 24, 2022.
Ordinarily, the President and Vice President could have been extremely difficult to appease, based on some of the vitriolic salvos that have been fired at them, but they chose to fly high the flag of, tolerance and accommodation, that sits them well as open-minded and open-hearted leaders.
As it is, tolerance, in the face of extreme provocation, certainly reflects, wisdom.
The 11th hour Public Relations move by the NPP - led by Professor Mike Ocquaye, Chairman Stephen Ntim, General Secretary, Justin Kodua, and ultimately by, His Excellency President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is not something that my Public Relations eye can ignore.
As a politician/nationalist/patriot and Ghanaian, I must commend what has happened - without any bias.
Just as I will wish the NDC well and write a similar piece if such open signs of being accommodating takes place in spite of whatever differences, I congratulate the NPP and wish the Party well in its efforts tomorrow to elect a new Leader.
May God grant me the strength to continue to speak my mind truthfully without fear or favour.
Ghana First!!!
Shalom.
Samuel Koku Anyidoho (Ghanaian/Nationalist/Patriot).
<<Print>>