The Statesman newspaper says its intelligence suggests that ex-President Jerry John Rawlings and the National Democratic Congress see Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as the greatest threat to Prof. John Evans Atta Mills' chances of winning the presidency for the opposition party.

The Ridge office of the NDC founder, Mr Rawlings, the Kuku Hill office of the leader, Prof Mills, and the Kokomlemle office of the party are all therefore united in seeing the former Foreign Minister as the man they would rather not face in the 2008 elections.

According to the paper, NDC intelligence surveys puts Akufo-Addo as the clear front runner, with Aliu Mahama, Alan Kyerematen and Dan Botwe among the top four candidates for the governing party's December 22 national congress. But Mr Rawlings feels their candidate, Prof Mills can "easily handle" all the others. But he dreads an Akufo-Ado challenge.

The former President, according to the paper’s inner-circle sources in the NDC, have ordered his hatchet men to do all that is possible to stop Akufo-Addo's hand from being raised as flag bearer of the New Patriotic Party in 17 days time.

“In the 'Stop Akufo-Addo' conspiracy, the NDC has unlikely bedfellows in the others Nana is competing against for the flagbearership. By the natural imperatives of competition, being the front-runner, Nana Akufo-Addo has the uncomfortable burden of being a common target for both legitimate and underhand campaign tactics.

“He's fighting strong forces both in the physical and spiritual realm in both within his party and outside,” said a retired judge and pastor who incidentally visited The Statesman offices on Tuesday and expressed similar concerns about the plots to derail the Abuakwa South MP's ambitions.