Kwesi Pratt Jnr, the Managing Editor of the Insight newspaper, has questioned President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo's comment referring to former President John Dramani Mahama as a "perennial candidate" of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Kwesi Pratt said he was surprised at the President's choice of words, especially considering Akufo-Addo's own extensive history of contesting presidential elections.
Speaking on a panel discussion on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo on September 13, 2023, he shed light on what he called the apparent contradiction in Akufo-Addo's characterization of John Mahama.
He noted that Akufo-Addo has himself participated in more presidential elections than Mahama.
"There is another thing that he said, he (President Akufo-Addo) said President Mahama is a perennial candidate, where from that one too, perennial is a big English.”
He added "Meanwhile, if you look at the track records of Ghana's elections, Former President John Dramani Mahama has contested the presidential elections three times, and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has contested four times. If we add this 2024, John Mahama will contest four times, and Nana Akufo-Addo will contest four times.
“The only difference is that with Nana Akufo-Addo, the constitution doesn't allow him to contest again, and Nana Addo has contested more than him (Mahama) because Nana Addo four times, and for him three times.
"So, the perennial candidates, where from that? This is why they say that when one finger is pointed at somebody, the other four are pointed at you; this is an example."
Kwesi Pratt questioned if someone had advised him to make such a remark.
"So that perennial candidate, where from that, where did he get that from? Who advised him? Is it somebody who wrote the speech for him or his own speech, I don't understand... you that you have stood four times, and someone who has contested three times, you are saying he is a perennial candidate, so for you, what are you?"
President Akufo-Addo said that the New Patriotic Pary (NPP) must elect an aspirant who can lead the party into victory come 2024, and by that defeat the former president, John Mahama.
According to him, he holds just one vote just like any polling station executive, when the NPP goes to the polls to choose a flagbearer.
His endorsement, he emphasised, will be based on the candidate's ability to lead the party to victory and also bring unity among the party members.
“I have just one vote, the same as any polling station executive anywhere in the country, and I will cast that vote for an aspirant who, I believe, can best unite the Party,” the president said in a tweet.
President Akufo-Addo also made it clear that his ultimate goal is to ensure a third successive defeat for the perennial former president, John Dramani Mahama.
“And, above all, who can win the presidential election of 7th December 2024, and inflict a third successive defeat on the perennial NDC Presidential Candidate, John Dramani Mahama,” the tweet added.
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