Anyone who knows Alan and I knows we can work – Nana Addo

• Posted on October 23, 2014October 23, 2014
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Two-time presidential candidate of the main opposition New Patriotic Party, Nana Akufo-Addo has said he has no difficulty whatsoever working closely with his archrival, Alan Kyerematen, whom he has defeated three consecutive times in the party’s flagbearership competition.

Akufo-Addo told Kyerematen, who visited him at his Nima residence in Accra Tuesday, that he was more than ready for the two of them to collaborate to vote out the governing National Democratic Congress from office in the 2016 general elections.

“…Anybody who knows the two of us will know that there is no difficulty at all about us working together. We’ve done so in the past and I’ve every expectation that we’re going to do so closely in the future and work together to bring about change in our country,” the former Attorney General told Kyerematen on his visit.

“I’m happy about this visit. I think you put it best on Saturday that the tradition of our party is ‘competition and after the competition corporation.’ I thought it was a neat way, which captured everything about our tradition and our attitude towards internal competition and the Ghanaian people are expecting a lot of us,” he said.

“That’s the way I see the votes. Yes. ‘You have to get out there and get the power for us.’ They’re expecting a lot of us. It requires that those of us in the leadership of the party work together to fulfil their desires and wishes…,” he reiterated.

Akufo-Addo won Saturday’s presidential primaries by a landslide by polling more than 94% of votes cast. Kyerematen managed a meagre 4%.

Despite the intense pre-congress rivalry, both politicians say they recognise the importance of working together for victory in the next general elections.

“Our people desperately want a change and it’s up to us to make sure that they get it, and they can only get it if all of us are seen to be in the same boat paddling together and working towards victory; so welcome once again, it’s your home, and feel free. We work together and we’ll see what destiny has for us.

“I’m optimistic about the prospects of 2016 for our party and for the people of Ghana. The present arrangement ought not be allowed to continue. It doesn’t have any hope for our people. And we can do much better; I think you know that very well.”

The three-time defeated flagbearer hopeful has already conveyed his congratulations to Akufo-Addo and pledged to support him, but he decided to personally pay him a visit to cement his pledge and promise.
Kyerematen told Akufo-Addo at his residence: “One thing that I wanted to be clear to our party members is that the contest was not simply about Nana Akufo-Addo, Alan or Addai-Nimoh; it was about how we prepare ourselves to take over power in 2016. So as people who are committed to the ideals of the party, we were offering ourselves as alternatives to be able to realise our own objective as a party, so once that has been done and the people have made the decision, we all are committed to support you to be able to realise that ultimate objective.
“…The spirit of the politics in NPP is that we compete and after that we co-operate, so you can be assured of our full support moving towards 2016,” Kyerematen reiterated.

-The Finder