By Papisdaff Abdullah
A former Defense Minister in the Mahama government is pushing for equal opportunity for all flagbearer hopefuls in the NDC for the 2024 presidential elections. Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor’s appeal follows allegations that elements in leadership position for the largest opposition party are planning on sabotaging other persons to make room for John Mahama’s unopposed return. The former Member of Parliament maintains, NDC as a democratic party will be making a mistake if other flagbearer aspirants are prevented from contesting former President John Mahama.
According to him, “he has been a Vice President before, he has been a President before. Currently, he is a former President, so his stature looks different from all other entrants who might be coming and particularly the media will definitely be more interested in him because they have interacted with him.”
“That is what seems to show the prominence that he plays. But I am not sure as a matter of politics with the NDC that this prevents any other person in a democratic competitive election from coming up and expressing what they bring to the table. So let us not look at what individuals are saying, they are entitled to their own opinions but the facts are out there for everybody to have his view,” the former Defense Minister told Accra based Television channel, TV3.
He continued: “I think that everybody, in a democracy, is entitled to his views. As to whether that view is right or wrong it is another matter. “I guess that probably, people who are expressing that view are expressing it from their perspective and not necessarily because it reflected on the grounds. People need to look at John Mahama’s candidature in a completely different context.”
Dr. Duffuor
The NDC on the 6th of June 2022 called off Dr. Kwabena Duffuor’s Ahotor project event scheduled to take place at the party’s Headquarters at Adabraka on 7th June 2022 in Accra. According to the Party, the event was cancelled because of some disagreements. Some NDC sympathizers and members across the country took to social media to express concerns over the development.
However, a press release signed by the General Secretary, John Aseidu Nketia, in response to an article by the Informer Newspaper, noted that the event was called off due to unsettled business between Dr. Duffuor and the party.
“A mutually acceptable agreement was reached at our FEC meeting last week, with Dr. Duffour in attendance pursuant to which we scheduled the presentation of the Ahotor project items to the party for Tuesday, 7th June, 2022. “The event was rescheduled because of certain issues raised subsequent to the final meeting by the donor with aspects of the agreement which required further deliberations and clearance by FEC,” the General Secretary explained.
But in a sharp rebuttal, former National Organizer of the NDC and Member of Dr. Kwabena Duffuor’s Ahotor Project Team, Yaw Boateng Gyan stated that the National Chairman for the opposition National Democratic Congress, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo called off the project launch at the party’s Headquarters in Accra. According to him, all was set for the event at the Headquarter when the National Chairman through the National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi called to inform him that the relaunch has been put on hold.
“In the morning of Monday June 6, 2022, while preparing for the relaunch on Tuesday, Sammy Gyamfi called me and delivered a message from the National Chairman, Hon. Ofosu Ampofo that the relaunch of the Ahoto has been put on hold. “This was the last communication regarding the relaunch of the Ahotor Project with FEC,” the former NDC National Organizer explained in a statement. He added that “We are still waiting for FEC official communication regarding the relaunch of Ahotor Project.”
