Akufo Addo Rejects Dan Botwe As Campaign Manager

Contrary to media reports that the 2016 flag bearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has landed on Member of Parliament (MP) for Okere, Dan Kweku Botwe, as campaign manager for the next presidential elections, information available to The aL-hAJJ indicates otherwise.

Sources at the Nima residence of the twice defeated presidential candidate have disclosed to The 'aL-hAJJ' that Nana Akufo-Addo has no intension of breaking an
unwritten pact he had with Stephen Ayensu Ntim to make him leader of his 2016 campaign.

Reports are that after the painful defeat of the former National Chairman aspirant, Stephen Ntim, at the Tamale Congress of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo tasked him to put the defeat behind him and brace up for bigger role in his third attempt at the presidency.

Although sources have confirmed to this paper that Nana Akufo-Addo’s henchmen and kingpins are furtively lobbying for the Minority Chief Whip in Parliament, Dan Botwe, to be named campaign manager, the former Abuakwa South legislator is said to have shrugged off the suggestion.

The Akyem veteran politician is also said to have assured Stephen Ntim that regardless of the pressure on him to dump him for the Okere MP and former General Secretary of the party, he (Nana Akufo-Addo) still has the pact intact.

The former Brong Ahafo regional chairman and former vice Chairman’s choice as campaign manager, sources close to Nana Akufo-Addo said, was to get him to win his home region for the NPP to consolidate the party’s votes in the Ashanti and Eastern regions.

Other sources close to the Okere MP also told The aL-hAJJ that it won’t come as a surprise to Hon. Dan Botwe that Nana Akufo-Addo had no intensions of nominating him as campaign Manager because, a major hurdle for Nana Addo to do that, is his mistrust of the Okere MP. 
They alleged that part of the reason is because of the challenges Dan Botwe posed to his candidacy during the 2007 NPP flag bearer primaries.

“There is no doubt that Dan Botwe is an astute political strategist and would make a good campaign manager, but Nana will not give his campaign to him to run. Dan Botwe and Nana though have good working relationship…In fact Dan Botwe has been one of Nana’s virulent supporters since 2008, but challenges he posed to him during the 2007 flag bearer primaries is still fresh in Nana’s mind,” a source who does not want his name mentioned told The aL-hAJJ.

According to the source, Dan Botwe is well convinced that Nana Akufo-Addo will not appoint him as campaign manager because he is yet to forgive him for all the things he said about him during the 2007 contest. Also, the source said Nana still believes Dan Botwe has presidential ambition hence it will be dangerous he directs his (Nana’s) campaign.

Party insiders say intense lobbying for the campaign manager post by interest groups has become so intense that elders of the party have stepped in with very interesting political permutations.

Sources say the party elders have bought into Nana Akufo-Addo’s idea to name Stephen Ntim as campaign manager to partner the newly appointed deputy General Secretary, Nana Obiri Boahene to win majority votes in the Brong Ahafo region.

source: peacefmonline