Director of communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has revealed that former President John Dramani Mahama’s acceptance speech did not convince anyone.

According to him, due to the past decision by the former President, it puts him in a poor light to make certain remarks, especiallywith those he erred during his administration. He indicated that although Mr Mahama’s resounding election as the NDC’s flagbearer was “no surprise at all”, his acceptance speech however stunned him.

“I was surprised most especially by yesterday’s presentation by the former President… Everything the former President said, I was cringing to say what exactly is the former President saying and why does he think that we don’t know him or his record. Everything he said yesterday in my view were simply words he was saying, he didn’t simply convince anyone. He is not convincing because his track record is always being measured against what he’s saying going into the future.”
Richard Ahiagbah

Mr Ahiagbah explained that the former President had ample time to have “demonstrated the things he was saying” in his speech. However, he indicated that Mr Mahama simply failed to do what he espoused in his speech during his administration, and rather portrayed what he is capable of doing now given the opportunity.

“At any rate, listening to former President Mahama yesterday, I was asking myself at what point now has anything changed to say that now he can use four years to transform this country when he earlier on said that it was impossible to do so. So, I wasn’t surprised in the sense that his victory was anything unknown…”
Richard Ahiagbah

In his view, the NPP director of communication stated that he expected Mr Mahama to admit the failures of the past. He indicated that once the admission was not made, everything the former President said yesterday cannot be trusted.

To this end, he questioned why the former President did not investigate murders such as J. B Danquah which happened under his watch, while instead focusing on the investigation on the death of Ahmed Suale. He revealed that the NDC is willing to do anything and everything to appeal to the voting public and court their approval.

“Nobody will be able to hang their hats on it because if you measure his performance in the past and what he’s saying, you’ll ask a simple question – why didn’t he do these things the first?”
Richard Ahiagbah

Mahama’s victory was a huge statement

On her part, special aide to former President John Dramani Mahama, Joyce Bawa Mogtari, disclosed that Mr Mahama’s victory was not only resounding but was a huge statement on the faith the NDC have in him as a flagbearer. She stated that the party leadership and its members are “ad idem” that Mr Mahama has the vested experience, vision, character, and qualities required to lead the party into the 2024 election.

“I think this is a profound, a resounding and a huge statement for and by the NDC, that John Dramani Mahama, has been elected overwhelmingly across the country as the flagbearer going into the 2024 elections.”
Joyce Bawa Mogtari

Madam Mogtari revealed that going forward, Mr Mahama is well aware of the task ahead of him and will do everything possible to ensure the victory of the party. She conceded that the NDC has an “enormous” task to undertake to ensure success in 2024.

“Of course, we now have a sort of a very cynical electorates, the voting public who no longer just swallow promises hook, line and sinker. The voting public now expect more from persons who put themselves up to lead this country and I love the fact that each time we have gone on a campaign trail, each and everything John Dramani Mahama has said or put forward in terms of his policy alternatives have been [tested].”
Joyce Bawa Mogtari