Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, a lecturer of the Management & Public Administration Department, from the Central University has said, former President John Dramani Mahama, will trump his competitors in the impending National Democratic Congress (NDC) Presidential primaries.
The party opened its presidential and parliamentary nomination on Wednesday, February 22, 2023 and former President John Mahama, already picked his nomination forms, to contest the NDC flagbearer race. Professor Joshua Alabi, a former Rector of the University of Professional Studies, picked the forms on behalf of Mr. Mahama at the party’s headquarters.
“Ghanaians are asking for a well-experienced leader, leadership counts. If leadership counts, then experience is the key, one who has done it before and one who is very humble, one who loves the people and one who believes in people-centred policies. Fortunately for us in the NDC, as a country, we have somebody like that.”
Professor Joshua Alabi
However, other candidates have popped up to contend for the Presidential candidate spot, during the NDC primaries scheduled in May this year; names such as the former Finance Minister, Dr. Kwabena Duffour and a former Metropolitan Chief Executive of Kumasi, Kojo Bonsu have come up.
To Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah, there is no shred of doubt that Mr. Mahama, is the favorite of the party delegates. In his estimation, there is no hope for the other candidates so far as the NDC Presidential race is concerned.
“President Mahama will not get anything less than 80 percent, the one whose own pains me a lot is Dr. Duffour; a fine gentleman. He qualifies and all that, but unfortunately, he won’t win. I believe Kojo Bonsu will also pick his forms but he won’t get up to 3 percent. The majority of the party members have made up their minds to vote for President Mahama.”
Dr. Benjamin Otchere-Ankrah
EIB Staff Angry As Management Orders Them To Give Duffuor’s Campaign Massive Coverage, Despite Unpaid Salary
The staff of EIB Network are enraged over a directive from the media group’s management issued to them, to give off their best in the coverage of their founder’s political campaign beginning today, Thursday, 23 February 2023.
An internal mail, signed by EIB’s Chief Operating Officer (COO), Santokh Singh Ram Singh, according to sources, impressed upon the various news departments of the giant media, to play ball and give the political campaign of Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, an extensive coverage, as he readies himself to pick nomination forms to run for the flag bearer slot of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The memo; sources, familiar with the situation say, has enraged the workers, some of whom complained bitterly, about what they see as the management’s “insensitivity”, to their plight and “gross injustice to their welfare, since they have not been paid for between 14 and 17 months or more.
The aggrieved and agitated staff, some of whom have families who depend on them, are wondering why they should continue to lend their support to their founder and his presidential ambition, as he fritters more cash on his campaign trail, while they starve. They have subsequently hinted at a protest against Duffuor’s candidature, if the management fails to pay them their accrued arrears, since the pressure being mounted on them from their dependents is no more tolerable.
“I am happy to announce that tomorrow, I will pick forms at 9 am to contest to be the next NDC flag bearer by the grace of the Almighty God. To all comrades who have lost hope, I say to you today, that HOPE is HERE! The journey to rescue and reposition the NDC for VICTORY 2024 begins!”, Dr. Duffuor wrote on his official Facebook page yesterday.
Step Back For Mahama
A former Greater Accra Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Joseph Ade Coker, has called on the party’s flagbearer aspirants, to allow John Mahama, to go unopposed. According to him, the former President, is the only aspirant with the ability to help the NDC recapture power, hence should not be distracted.
Speaking on Thursday, he said Mahama deserves a popular acclamation and not a contest; adding that the other aspirants can launch their presidential ambitions later.
“My advice to those who would be contesting is that, even though they have gone for forms and we have been talking to them, I believe that they should look at the larger picture of the NDC. We do not want a situation where by the time we finish, we are divided. We do not want that. There is room for everybody in the party and at the appropriate time, we can consider them.”
Joseph Ade Coker
Mr. Coker’s comments, adds to the widespread endorsement Mahama has garnered, following the announcement of his bid to contest in the 2024 presidential elections on the ticket of the NDC. So far, the former President is ahead of his contenders – former Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffuor and former Kumasi Mayor, Kojo Bonsu.
The NDC will hold its presidential and parliamentary primaries on Saturday, May 13, to elect a new flagbearer, as well as parliamentary candidates across the various constituencies. Meanwhile, the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), says it is prepared to face former President John Dramani Mahama, following his decision to contest the 2024 presidential election.
Addressing a press conference, the NPP’s Director of Communication, Richard Ahiagbah, said his outfit is not intimidated by Mahama’s intentions. According to him, Mahama did not give a good account of himself while in office, but rather subjected Ghanaians to untold hardship; including the one-time power fluctuations, termed ‘dumsor’.
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