Mr Stephen Ashitey Adjei, an executive member of the Tema East branch of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), has named former President Mahama as the source of on-going unhealthy drama in the party. Speaking at a news conference in Accra, Mr Ashitey Adjei, who is popularly called Moshake, said many of the party’s troubles would go away if Mr Mahama were to step aside and let someone else lead the party into 2020.
“From what I see and hear, Mahama is working for NPP and must stop, as we head towards the 2020 election, Mr Mahama is the personality who is inspiring all the anxiety among people who still have not moved on from the crushing defeat that he led us into in 2016, he is the one who is inspiring anxiety among the other flagbearer hopefuls and he is the one who is not in the good graces of the party’s elders.” Moshake said.
He said it was around the former President that the corruption and incompetence tag from the ruling NPP, hanged, and are rubbing on the NDC.
“The NDC would easily be weaned off all the internal strife and unwholesome tags, if Mr Mahama were to make a decision that for the sake of the party, he would step aside and allow others to contest for the flagbearership of the party, a decision to walk away would automatically clear off this huge cloud from the NDC.
“But alas, Mr Mahama has shown that he is not prepared to walk away to the advantage of NPP, he does not love the NDC enough to relieve the party of the heavy baggage that comes with him.” Moshake” said.
Explaining why he said the former President was a dead weight on the NDC, he pointed out that there were two angles to the issue. “Internally, Mahama is the cause of strife, because he and his family’s announcement of disinterest in politics in 2016 is what led to the other Flagbearer aspirants deciding to step up to the plate”.
According to Moshake, when Ibrahim Mahama announced in December 2016, after his brother’s loss at the polls that the family had sat with the former President and convinced him not to run again in 2020, it served as a cue to the likes of Mr Alban Bagbin, Sylvester Mensah, Professor Joshua Alabi and Dr. Ekwow Spio Gabrah, who had Presidential ambitions, to start campaigns.
“It is most unfair that after the Mahama family had caused the other aspirants to step up to the plate, Mr Mahama would then turn around and start a comeback,” Moshake said,
He expressed optimism that, though former President Mahama had not really declared intent, his statement in Bolga to the effect that he would soon announce his political future contradicted the earlier announcement by his family that he would not run.
“This situation is what is responsible for the strife among flagbearer aspirants.”
Again, he said, many poor actions of former President Mahama in office, including; the poor management of the party’s Founder, Jerry Rawlings, and the neglect of the elders of the party created a schism between the elders and Mahama that had not been forgiven.
“Everybody knows the party founder, along with the elders are not on good terms with the former President; you cannot go into an election and win with the elders of your party not in support of you. We know the Council of Elders only recently resumed meetings through the instrumentality of Mr Alban Bagbin,” Moshake said
Moshake pointed out that widespread neglect of party people under former President Mahama even affected pro NDC media houses, some of which had since closed down because of lack of support.
“Today, where is The Enquirer, where is The Republic and co? How come pro NDC media houses died under Mahama’s Presidency?
Infact, it makes sense to believe that former President Mahama is working for the NPP and must stop. Reality is truth, as John 8:32 says, the truth will set us free.
