Pre-party election campaigning in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) by two stalwarts of the fraternity, Alan Kyerematen and Akufo-Addo, has struck some raw nerves within it. Former General Secretary of the NPP Dan Botwe is calling for a freeze on all forms of campaigning by the two contenders who would leave nothing to chance to grab the position of flag-bearer. He was speaking on Joy FM's Super Morning Show on Thursday. According Mr Botwe, Mr Kyerematen and Nana Akufo-Addo’s fissure has gained so much notoriety within the media to the extent that the two are becoming a nuisance to the party. He said they must be stopped from putting themselves out as aspirants for the flagbearership position. “Just as the NDC did in the selection of their national officers, you know the general secretary came out strongly and said that not until they have opened nominations and people have filed, nobody could go about and put himself forward as a contestant for a national position; and they were able to do that. “And that’s exactly what the NPP should do. Under no circumstance should they allow people who think that in future they may put themselves up as presidential candidates to go about to begin to behave as such,” Mr Botwe stressed. According to the Okere MP, the two individuals should also be barred from holding meetings with executives of the party. “None of them has the authority to even call people to begin to talk about their aspirations for being flagbearears. And once we are able to do that all these – if you excuse my language – Alan-Nana-Addo nonsense will stop,” he said. Dan Botwe’s frustration stems from the hype that an apparent rift between Mr Kyerematen and Nana Addo has been in the media even after the party had lost power in 2008. This situation has however been drawn on recent separate meetings the two have had with constituency executives of the NPP in the Ashanti and Brong Regions. Nana Addo is reported to have held meetings with party members in the Ashanti Region where he allegedly expressed his dislike for the former, but then Regional Chairman Robert Yaw Amankwaa. Mr Kyeremanteng also held meetings with Volta Regional delegates where he is reported to have called for unity within the party. But the cold relationship between them became all the more evident at the party’s regional congress in Kumasi, correspondents say. Whilst Mr Botwe expresses his frustrations, the current General Secretary Nana Ohene Ntow says the existence of factions within the party is a healthy thing but warns it must be handled well so it does not get out of hand. Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana