Sammi Awuku's endorsement of John Boadu show confidence in incumbent General Secretary

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is about to be ushered into a crucial defining moment this weekend. The party picks national executives who would be attempting to script a rare 4th Republican history of breaking the eight-year; a two-term convention that has been the highlight of the current dispensation.

Many open-minded political observers believe that a rare feat can only be breached with experienced politicians at the helm of the NPP. That has led to many agitating questions bordering on experience and the so-called new order.

It’s a critical issue that borders on which of the two blocs—the experience and the neophyte, has the wherewithal to ensure that the NPP retains power or script the 12-year office history?

Within the context of the stated observation by many political pundits, it does seem a no-brainer for incumbent executives, especially that of the party’s General Secretary, who is also the Chief Executive Officer or the Administrative head of the party to be retained. As the July 16th, 2022 national executive elections of the NPP draw closer, many party stalwarts are beginning to dine with the reality of which aspirants can help the party to ‘Break the 8’.

Political demagoguery or sentimentalism is giving way to harsh realities, especially at a time that the NDC is exploiting every wrong step of the ruling party to its fullest advantage. To many of such onlookers, the likes of John Boadu, the General Secretary, 1st Vice Chairperson Rita Asobayire, and a host of others should be given the nod to continue in their respective positions because of the dicey nature of the 2024 elections.

There are others too who believe the party needs a new lease of life if the NPP hopes to surmount the NDC opposition. The contention is that the older folks had come to their wits-end and therefore needed to allow people with fresh ideas to continue and perhaps improve upon what the old executives had done within the period.

Within the obvious juggernaut of which order is best, there is one position that even some proponents of the clean slate idea believe the party should not make the mistake of altering. And that is the position of the General Secretary, which currently is being manned by John Kwame Boadu.

And one of the party stalwarts who for obvious reasons, is vouching for the John Boadu candidacy on the quiet is Sammi Awuku, the outgoing National Organizer and the current Chief Executive Officer of the National Lotteries Authority (NLA). Sammi Awuku’s partisan position is up for grabs and from all indications, current National Organizer, Nana Boakye is likely to fill that void.

Many NPP followers who know about the relationship between Sammi Awuku and John Boadu are not surprised that the former is backing the re-election bid of the latter. It’s however not necessarily the fact that Awuku is John Boadu’s political protégé.

Close confidants have spoken about the manner Awuku has been extolling the competence and sterling performance of John Boadu as NPP General Secretary for the past six years, especially during the period that he (John Boadu) combined his National Organizer position with that of an acting General Secretary and ensured that the NPP wrestled power from the incumbent NDC in 2016, in a landmark victory, that was in excess of some one million votes margin.

According to these sources, although Sammi is not against the candidatures of John Boadu’s closest challengers like Justin Frimpong Kodua (JFK) and Musah Superior, Sammi Awuku believes “it’s an undeniable fact that John’s experience, towers above all of the other two contestants.”

One source even tried guessing why Sammi Awuku is obsessed about John Boadu’s candidature.

“We are in a critical situation. We want to break the eight and we cannot do so with political neophytes. Which of the other General Secretary aspirants can match General Mosquito? Or Fifi Kwetey who to all intents and purposes is the likely bet for the NDC’s General Secretary post, if Aseidu Nketia decides to run for the chairmanship position of the NDC?”

Even none John Boadu backers have been impressed with the manner the NPP General Secretary has handled the maverick Aseidu Nketia, the man who has cut a forte as one of the revered and robust politicians of our time. But the tactful and astute John Boadu has always managed to trim Aseidu to size even to the chagrin of NDC folks.

One other Awuku associate therefore declared “should we trade such political asset (John Boadu) for anybody at all in the name of change? That will be a major political blow to our ‘Breaking the 8’ dream” and believes this is one of the other main reason why Sammi Awuku fully endorses the John Boadu candidature.

With the NDC’s hunger and anger to return to power manifested in the obvious propaganda and chicanery, the NPP ought to brace up for real challenge in 2024 and these assigns claim it’s the believe of Sammi Awuku that John Boadu is the one with the political temperament to deal decisively with the obvious onslaught that the NDC is likely to unleash, especially in the preceding year (2023) to the 2024 elections.

“It’s not about shouting and false accusations that some of John’s adversaries have started to engaged in or the populists and empty sloganeering that will ward off the NDC threats. It’s the man with the right strategic and grassroots organization that can outwit the NDC”, one such staunch Awuku supporter asserted.

The person that best fits the latter description, the Awuku backer maintained is John Boadu and that’s why “Sammi Awuku is quietly doing everything possible for General (John Boadu) to retain the General Secretary portfolio.” Often, one of the criticisms against John Boadu is that he refuses to respond to calls of party people or foot soldiers. However, investigations by this writer show that John receives more than one thousand calls and text messages a day and that becomes impossible for him to respond to every single individual.

To address these concerns, John has decided that in he will establish and decentralize NPP enquiry bureaus in all regions and in some cases the districts in his second term, to deal with matters being raised by regular supporters and members of the NPP.