Dr. Arthur Kennedy’s controversial book, “Chasing the Elephant Into the Bush”, which is causing a lot of agitation among the rank and file of the New Patriotic party (NPP), has revealed a chilling account of how unbridled womanizing by some of leaders of the party, caused them the defeat in the 2008 elections.
Dr. Arthur Kennedy who headed Nana Akufo-Addo’s communication team during the elections, but is now cooling it off in the USA, alleged in his book that while some of the key party figures were criss-crossing the country campaigning, others were enjoying with their girlfriends in hotels to the detriment of the party.
According to him, when the party gurus met chiefs in the Central Region to plead with them to support the party, they (chiefs) made a similar complain about the chasing of women by some of the party leaders. On page 132 of the book, Arthur Kennedy wrote: “In Kumasi, while polling agents looked for party leaders to help resolve problems, one party leader was reportedly hold up at his girlfriends place. The leading member of the NPP further contended that though some of the district chief executives (DCESs) were seen to be unpopular, they were also womanizing at the expense of campaigning.
“As in very campaign, local issues and the candidates mattered. In many places, DCE were seen by the public as the face of the party, and where they were unpopular, the voters punished the party for their perceived arrogance. For example, in the Central region, a few days before the second round, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey, Kwabena and I met the regional House of Chiefs to persuade them to support the NPP. During the meeting, one chief reminded us that the DCEs were our primary links with the people, and that in many instances our party had been ill-served by our DCEs. He said that on many occasions, he (the chief) had tried to see the DCE without success.
However, while waiting to see the DCE, a young woman, scantily dressed, was walking in and out of the DCEs office. This account was backed by many of the assembled chiefs. Dr. Arthur Kennedy, who contested the NPP presidential primaries and bagged a single vote, alleged in the book that on the day of the elections, a leading member of the party shocked a diplomat at a hotel. “That night, a national executive member was spotted having dinner at a hotel in Accra by a shocked diplomat. On perceptions of arrogance, he said, the perceptions of arrogance on the part of the DCEs were extended to members of parliament and used Mr. Stephen Asamoah Boateng as a classical example. “The classical example of one such ministers was Honourable Stephen Asamoah Boateng, who was acknowledged by even his enemies to be hardworking, but considered by some admirers to be arrogant. He capped this by telling a caller on a radio show to be careful because you are talking to a Minister of State.
After a valiant effort, he lost his seat. He also conceded that the party’s inability to carefully handle the premix fuel issues, together with their seemingly indifference to the issues of pair-trawling, greatly affected the fortunes of the NPP. “For some unknown reasons, Honourable Nana Ato Arthur, and Honourable Gladys Asmah, who needed to collaborate to resolve the issue, did not have a good relationship and could never agree on the best way to resolve the pre-mix issue”.
Kennedy also blamed poor structures for collating results, as another bane that contributed to the defeat. According to him, during the elections, the National Chairman, Mr. Peter Mac Manu and the campaign director, Dr. Kofi Konadu Apraku, were having different results from the constituencies, making things difficult for the party to compile results. At a point, he claimed, he had to move to Dr. Wereko-Brobbey’s office to check the correct results, saying, “it seemed his collation centre was quieter.
