The NDC Flagbearer-elect, former President John Dramani Mahama will be delivering an acceptance speech today at the University of Developmental Studies (UDS) in Tamale, after his victory in the presidential ordinaries of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) on Saturday, May 13.
John Dramani Mahama polled 297,603 valid votes, representing 98.9% of the total votes cast, emerging as the flagbearer-elect of the NDC, while his competitor, Kojo Bonsu, managed to capture a mere 3,181 representing 1.1% of the total votes.
Due to some shocking revelations, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor withdrew from the race just a day before the election.
In a statement after the elections, John Dramani Mahama offered thanks to both his campaign and operational teams for delivering a clean campaign and keeping its focus.
“I thank our donors and financiers for your support; the media for propagating our message and all our religious and traditional leaders, who prayed on our behalf for the peace and success we have achieved.
“On Monday, at the University for Development Studies (UDS) in Tamale, I will join a teeming number of the rank and file of the NDC and Ghanaians in general, to deliver my formal acceptance speech…See you in Tamale!”
John Dramani Mahama
The former President expressed his overwhelming humility, after a huge vote of confidence was bestowed upon his shoulders by the party. He appreciated God for the victory won by the NDC. He claimed that moving around the country in the past few months, without any fatalities, has only been by the strength and Grace provided by God and no one else.
“My profound gratitude goes to the delegates of our party for their warm welcome, active engagement, and participation during my tour. In your usual astute manner, you turned up in your numbers, across the country, to vote in our party’s presidential and parliamentary elections.
“I also want to thank Dr. Kwabena Duffuor and Mr. Kojo Bonsu for their contest. My appreciation also goes to Mr. Ernest Kobea, who pulled out to support me in this contest. Their taking part in this primary has cemented our party’s enviable record as the most democratic political tradition in the country. Let us disagree to agree, but let us keep our collective sights firmly on the supreme objective of the NDC leading Ghana out of the current abyss the country is in.”
John Dramani Mahama
John Dramani Mahama sought for the cooperation amongst all elected parliamentary candidates, their respective aspirants and supporters in the constituencies because he is hopeful the NDC party is going to win in the upcoming 2024 general Elections and as such, there was no winner or loser in the intra-party contest.
Segbefia Claims Monetization Of Politics Was Picked By The NDC From The NPP
Alex Segbefia, a former Health Minister, claims the monetization of politics in Ghana was created by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and only copied by the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
In his perspective, his party (NDC) only made a habit out of it by looking to the NPP practice it.
“In 1992 and 1996, even up to 2000, bribery issue was a thing of the past. I am putting it squarely in the house of the NPP that this monetization of our system, came to pass in a big way from 2004 onwards and it was a creation, to the extent to which we are seeing it now, of the NPP.”
Alex Segbefia
“Unfortunately, we in the NDC have learned bad habits. I am not absorbing ourselves in any way from it,” he said in an interview, while discussing the issue on the GH¢40 that was given to each delegate of the NDC by former President John Dramani Mahama, to enable them to get to the voting centers in Saturday’s presidential and parliamentary primaries.
Special Aide to Mahama, Joyce Bawah Mogtari, stated that the campaign team believed that supporting its delegates to enable them travel to centers, ensure a high voter turnout and empower every voter to vote and return home without financial impediment in these difficult economic times, was necessary.
Private legal practitioner, Martin Kpebu, contributing to this discussion on the issue of monetizing politics, said monetization of politics is a blot on Ghana’s democracy. “It is big blot on our democracy, it affects the kind of leaders we have. So, it means that the elections are to the highest bidder, the one who has more money is able to bid,” he averred.
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