Nana, Alan should pair for 2012 polls

Alan and Nana sharing a joke at the NPP's congress in Kumasi   A founding member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Ashanti Region, Nana Kwabena Adomako, has suggested to Nana Akufo-Addo and Mr Alan Kyerematen to consider choosing each other as running mates when any of them emerges as the party's flag bearer for the 2012 presidential election. He said the NPP could chalk up a landslide victory in the 2012 election with any of the two either as presidential candidate or a running mate. Speaking to the Daily Graphic in Kumasi Monday, Nana Adomako said there was no doubt that the two were the leading contestants in the August 7 presidential primary. However, recent events whereby their supporters were engaged in acrimonious campaigning had not done the party any good and could affect their chances during the 2012 elections if measures were not taken to mend the cracks. "And I strongly believe that we can change things for the better when we pair the two for the 2012 elections." He stated that what had become a convention for presidential candidates to choose their running mates from a particular part of the country was counterproductive. Nana Adomako stated that politics in the country should be devoid of tribalism and that political positions should be based on performance rather than ethnicity. He described the two leading party members as mature politicians who had the ability to turn the fortunes of not only the party but the nation around. However, Nana Adomako said, what was needed foremost was to win political power, and this would depend on how the two leaders and their supporters conducted themselves. The NPP founding member said the continuous use of vulgar language in the campaign for the August 7 elections could be used against the party by the NDC who would be their main opponents in 2012. "We must therefore guard against this negative behaviour and conduct ourselves in a decent manner that will portray the NPP as the party ready to wrestle political power," he said. He commended the five flag bearer aspirants for conducting themselves very well during the campaign and urged them to come together as one big family after the primary. Nana Adomako indicated that Ghanaians were looking up to the NPP to relieve them from their hardships under the NDC government and "we dare not fail them." He also expressed concern about the neglect of founding members in the resolution of issues affecting the party in the region. "Regrettably, our members and supporters tend to use the media to resolve issues when they could have used people like us," he said. He urged delegates to the presidential primary to conduct themselves very well to paint a good picture of the party. Source: Daily Graphic/Ghana