Ghana’s New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it is too preoccupied with a lot of equally important things that it would not sacrifice any for Wednesday’s debate by the National Commission for Civic Education (NCCE).
Nana Obiri Boahene, Deputy General Secretary of the NPP, told 3FM News the party would not “put much premium” on the debate.
“Do you think it is a crucial debate?” he shot back at the anchor, Kwakye Afreh Nuamah when he tried to know why the party refused to participate. Many people have wondered why the presidential candidate of the largest opposition party, Nana Akufo-Addo is not taking part in a debate being organized by a state institution.
President John Mahama and the remaining five candidates would be at the event, but many have been longing to see Akufo-Addo and Mahama on the same platform.
An informed source who did not want to be named told SIGNAL on Tuesday that Akufo-Addo and his handlers may have panicked over the imminent possibilities of an unfavourable debate outcome. According to the source, the NPP chickened out of the debate to avoid an irreversible situation where the much more intellectual President John Dramani Mahama of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) floors Akufo-Addo on national television.
Recall that President Mahama has severally challenged Akufo-Addo to a debate.
“Clearly, the NPP is in panic mode and they are not ready to take the risk of putting their candidate Akufo-Addo on the same debate stage with President Mahama. We know what will happen if Akufo-Addo comes face to face with Mahama. It will be an irrecoverable disaster for the NPP. But it’s unfortunate because these are the same people who claim they want to bring change to Ghana. They can’t even honour a debate to sell their plans to the people of Ghana”, the source said.
Confirming the NPP’s refusal to participate in the debate, the NCCE said several discussions were held with Akufo-Addo’s handlers but they would not move.
“Why do you insist Nana Akufo-Addo should be part of the debate?” Obiri Boahene retorted. “We have our own progammes and activities for the year and we decided not to attend, what is wrong about that?”
The Deputy General Secretary was emphatic, “We are not interested. We have a lot of things to do”.
A senior lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, Jonathan Asante Okyere however believes the NPP shot itself in the foot when it declined the invitation. “It is quite unfortunate for the NPP to assume such a position…I want to be charitable…it smacks of arrogance on their part,” he said.
Barely 48 hours ago, the Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper and renowned pollster Ben Ephson released a research finding predicting a ‘one-touch’ victory for incumbent President John Dramani Mahama. According to the poll, the governing National Democratic Candidate (NDC) presidential candidate would garner 52.4 percent of the votes while his main rival Akufo-Addo of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would get 45.9 percent.
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