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Sir-Obama Pokuase, a social media activist for the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), has called for restraint and circumspection between supporters of Alan Kyeramanteng and Dr. Bawumia as the search continues for President Akufo-Addo’s successor for the elections in 2024..
In a featured article, he underscored the need for the NPP rank and file to study the political history of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition in relation to the 1979 and 2008 elections. Read the full article below:
Fellow NPP MEMBERS, LET’S FOLLOW USED BY OUR PAST
After the overthrow of the government of Dr. Kofi Abrefa Busia on January 13, 1972, the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition began to have its own internal problems: two heavyweights: Victor Owusu and William Ofori-Atta (hereinafter, Paa Willie), high-profile members of the Busia-led 2nd Republic Progress Party (PP) struggled to regroup and launch a party to fight in the 1979 presidential and parliamentary elections.
The differences arose between them before the formation of a different political party to contest the elections of 79. The majority of the group headed by Victor Owusu, a renowned lawyer and former Attorney General of Busia, formed the Popular Front Party (PFP), of the one who became a standard bearer.
He obtained 70 votes against his main contender, 36 for Alhaji Yakubu Tali (who became his running mate) in his internal election. Other applicants in that contest were; Dr. Kwame Safo-Adu, JH Mensah (Chief Minister of the Kufuor government), Kwesi Lamptey, Saki Schek, A Chinbua and BD Addae.
Ironically, personalities such as Dr. Obed Asamoah, Sam Okudzeto (Member of the State Council), ER Madjetey, etc. who belonged to the National Alliance of Liberals (NAL) of Komla Gbedemah and who were in opposition to the Progress Party in the 2nd Republican Parliament formed the United National Convention (UNC) and settled on Paa Willie, who had almost retired from active politics as a standard-bearer.
The UNC, in addition to having some elements of the NAL as its main members, also had “new faces” such as General Amankwaa Afrifa, Peter Ala-Adjetey (former Speaker of Parliament under Kufuor), Harry Sawyerr, Adu Boahen (first presidential candidate of the NPP) among others who were “unknown or active members” of the Progress Party of the Second Republic. The animosity between the PFP and the UNC continued to grow day by day.
Alhaji Imoru Egala, founder of the National People’s Party (PNP), a chip from the Kwame Nkrumah CPP bloc, took advantage of the problems of the Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition and sponsored the candidacy of Dr. Hilla Limann to contest the elections. He (Egala) was serving a 12-year ban imposed by the Supreme Court that prohibited all those appointed by the CPP in the First Republic from holding public office.
The stage was ripe for the conduct of the elections of September 18, 1979: there were 140 parliamentary seats, as well as ten (10) presidential candidates on the ballot. At the end of the vote, none of the presidential candidates met the constitutional requirement of fifty percent plus one vote (50% + 1) leading to a second round. Below is the list of candidates and their percentage score of the total valid votes cast during the first round.
1. Hilla Limann, National People’s Party [PNP]= 35%
2. Victor Owusu- Popular Front Party [PFP]= 29%
3. William Ofori Atta- United National Convention [UNC]= 17%
4. Frank Bernasko- Action Congress Party [ACP]= 9%
5. Ibrahim Mahama- Social Democratic Front [SDF]= 3.72%
6. John Bilson – [Third Force Party]= 2.75%
7. RP Baffour -[Independent]= 0.49%
8. Kwame Nyanteh- [Independent]= 0.47%
9. Mark Diamond Addy- [Independent]= 0.33%
10. Imoru Ayarna- [Independent]= 0.27%
As previously stated, the election was forced into a second round on July 8, 1979 between the first two main candidates: Dr. Hilla Limann of the People’s National Party (PNP) and Victor Owusu of the Popular Front Party (PFP). .
Dramatically, UNC elements under the leadership of Paa Willie supported Dr. Hilla Limann in winning the second round of elections with an overwhelming 62% of valid votes. All the efforts of the PFP leadership to bring their separatist brothers back to support them fell on the ears of death.
The Danquah-Dombo-Busia tradition, due to internal disputes, sold its “precious jewels” to the PNP at a “wholesale price.” A simple arithmetic of the results in the first round of voting between the PFP (29%) and the UNC (17%) should help to appreciate the drift. Victor, as standard-bearer for the Danquah-Busia front, would have obtained at least 46% and this would have facilitated victory in the second round. This explains why Victor Owusu is primarily described as “the president of Ghana who never was”.
The results of the parliamentary election were quite interesting: Limann’s PNP secured 71 seats, Victor’s PFP – 42, Paa Willie’s UNC-13, Colonel Bernarsko’s ACP-10, Ibrahim Mahama’s SDF-3, the Third Force Party-0, with 1 Independent. Close to the Hung Parliament, it was similar to the 8th Parliament of the 4th Republic: there were no overwhelming majority seats in the August House.
MORAL LESSON: Even before President Akufo-Addo finishes forming a government for his second and final term, there are already calls for his successor before the 2024 elections. Among the list of possible aspiring flag bearers, the vice president stands out in functions, Dr. Mahamoud Bawumia, and the Minister of Commerce, Alan Kyeremanteng.
Sadly, the campaign by the apologists for these two disguised politicians, particularly on social media, has been pernicious. It seems that courtesy and decorum have been lost and this is concerning.
I appeal to the rank and file of the PNP to be guided by the past. Recall the historical events from 1979 that I have shared, juxtapose them to the 2007 Legon Conference with 17 would-be flaggers who led us into opposition in 2008 while campaigning for our preferred successor to HE Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Bear in mind that our ability to “break the eight” will largely depend on two things: the government’s performance in its second term and how we conduct ourselves during, before, and after our flagging election. Circumspection, tolerance, respect, and self-control are basic needs at this stage. Nothing more and nothing less. Have a nice day.
assalamu Alaikum
The writer is Sir Obama Pokuase. You can contact him at [email protected]
