Clamour for Nana Addo flagbearership premature -Ken Agyapong

The Member of Parliament for Assin-North, Kennedy Agyapong has called on the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) not to expend their energies on who leads the party into the 2016 presidential race.
Instead, he wants them to concentrate on solving the myriad of problems facing the party, including an evaluation of what may have caused the party to lose the presidential elections in 2008 and 2012.

According to him, calls projecting Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the 2012 flagbearer as the obvious choice for 2016, are premature.

Mr Agyapong was speaking on Accra-based Asempa FM in response to previous comments he had made, describing the party as “sick”.

In his opinion, only time could tell whether or not Nana Addo would be able to run on the ticket of the NPP in 2016.

“Time will tell whether or not the man can go. There are problems in the party that we need to address
We shouldn’t pretend all is well because all is not well,” he said.

“There are many issues that need to be solved before we push for a flagbearer. What’s important is for us to be united. There is a canker eating the party up,” he stressed.

He added, “If you’ve gone for an election, you sit and analyse the situation. What caused the defeat and what can we do to change whatever happened? But all we are doing is lobbying for one person or the other while the problem remains unsolved. We need to address the problems in the party otherwise we will always be defeated”.

According to Mr Agyapong, the biggest challenge facing the party was factionalism within the party - the Nana Addo faction and Allan faction.

“It is so disgusting that I try to stay away. I don’t care who becomes the leader of the party as long as we win power,” he said.

He noted that, without unity in the party it would be difficult for whoever becomes the leader to focus on solving the problems facing the country.

By Jasmine Arku/graphic.com.gh/Ghana