NPP Chairman says anybody who stands in Akufo-Addo’s way will die

• Posted on September 1, 2014September 1, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The Eastern Region Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has declared that anybody who acts in a way to thwart the presidential ambitions of Nana Akufo-Addo will be struck down by God.

Mr Kiston Akomeng Kissi was reacting to claims by Nana Ohene Ntow, spokesperson for the Alan Kyerematen team, that he (Chairman Kissi) intimidated voters in Sunday’s NPP Super Delegates’ Congress to vote for the party’s 2012 presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Nana Ohene Ntow made the claim on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem morning show a day after the vote, which saw Nana Akufo-Addo hand a resounding thrashing to his competitors. With 740 votes on offer, Nana Akufo-Addo won 598 representing 80.81% while his closest rival, Alan Kyerematen obtained 59 representing 7.96%.

The other contestants – Joe Ghartey (22), Francis Addai Nimoh (22), Kofi Osei Ameyaw (16), Stephen Asamoah Boateng (13) and Dr Kofi Konadu Apraku (10) – all made a poor showing.

Thus Dr Apraku and Mr Asamoah Boateng drop out of the October 18 contest to choose a flagbearer. Monday morning, Joe Ghartey announced that despite making it into the last 5, he was dropping out of the race.

Speaking to the media afterwards Nana Ohene Ntow, who said he was “shocked” by the results, however attributed “intimidation” and other things to the defeat, citing specifically the Eastern Region chairman, Kiston Akomeng Kissi.

But a furious Regional chairman told Adom FM’s Captain Smart that his colleague party member was dodging the truth from the grassroots, who insist Nana Akufo-Addo was their preferred choice.

He alleged that some party members, particularly members of the Alan Kyerematen team including Nana Ohene Ntow, had an agenda to prevent Nana Akufo-Addo from assuming the presidency, “but anybody who stands in the way of Nana Akufo-Addo will not live to see 2016.”

“There is time for everything in this world. This is the time for Nana Addo to be President. Anybody who stands in his way may not live to see 2016.”

God, he said, “would strike them dead” for going against the “wishes of the people of Ghana.”

Mr Kissi warned Nana Ohene Ntow to be mindful of the things he says against his person and the party, saying he was constrained by the need for the party to be decorous “if not I would have told him (Ohene Ntow) my piece of mind this morning.”

He advised the other contestants to carefully analyse the results of Sunday’s Super Delegates’ Congress and advise themselves accordingly.

Frank Agyei-Twum