[ 2017-02-28 ]

Former President John Mahama

Cracks emerge in NDC
Less than two months after sheepishly handing over
power to the Akufo-Addo led New Patriotic Party,
the opposition National Democratic Congress is
facing its worse internal insurrections with the
potential of disintegrating the party unless;
immediate measures are taken to assuage pent-up
feeling among various feuding factions.

Though the NDC has suffered similar internal
wrangling in the past, party insiders say the main
opposition party may not be lucky to survive the
on-going bickering in the party if “what people
are planning against each other is allowed to
fester.”

“This time round, we (NDC) may not be that
fortunate to come out stronger from our internal
issues like we did in the past. Now the party is
divided at almost all levels. There is division at
the grassroots; our MPs in parliament are fighting
each other; national, regional and constituency
executives are at each other’s throat over our
defeat and alleged “hoarding” of campaign
funds,” a senior member of the NDC who does not
want his name mentioned told this paper.

He added that, “the difficulty we are facing now
is that there is nobody in the party to address
what is happening. All those who could doused the
tension in the party are themselves directly or
indirectly linked to the blame games and internal
strife.”

Reports are that members of the NDC have been
fighting each other over the party’s defeat in
last year’s election. “Since we lost power,
none of our meetings have ended well... we either
end-up trading insults or blaming one another for
our defeat. There are some people in the party who
do not want to see each other…so we are unable
to meet to discuss how to reorganize the party,”
another heavyweight of the party told The
aL-hAJJ.

The infighting amongst top brass of the party has
cascaded to party grassroots and social media
commentators who have in recent times turned
attention to fighting proxy ‘wars’ in defense
of their ‘bosses’.

Not a day passes without known NDC activists
trading insults and/or accusing some kingpins in
the main stream or through social media over
alleged wrongful acts whilst in government which
resulted in the party’s excruciating defeat at
the polls.

A recent request by the Functional Executive of
the NDC at a meeting to seek financial assistance
from former appointees of the Mahama
administration for the running of the party ended
up in confusion.

Sources at the meeting say the former appointees
led by former Minister of Fisheries and
Aquaculture, Dr Shirley Aryittey vowed not to
contribute a “penny” towards the management of
the party unless the National Executives account
for campaign funds donated to the party.

This is said to have added to the already volatile
situation in the party making it impossible for
leading members of the party to meet and plan how
to reorganize the party “not to talk of
strategizing on how to tackle the Akufo Addo
led-government,” a source revealed.

A section of the party’s kingpins and supporters
are already up in arms with the NDC founder, Mr
Jerry John Rawlings over claims he aided President
Akufo-Addo and the NPP to defeat President Mahama
and the NDC.

Hirelings of Mr Rawlings are also firing back at
his accusers, warning them to shelve their attacks
on the NDC founder and focused on investigating
how they “gifted” power to their main rivals
or risk incurring their wrath.
Other NDC activists are also talking ill of
immediate-past President Mahama and some of his
appointees for complacency and neglect of the
grassroots which lead to the party’s
embarrassing defeat in the 2016 elections.

Jostling for party positions at the various levels
including the next flag bearer position is also
said to be creating tension in the party. Whilst
majority of the party members are rooting for Mr
Mahama’s comeback, others are kicking against
his comeback and have started ‘marketing’
their preferred candidates.

More worrying is the ongoing elbowing among
incumbent National Executives and some NDC
kingpins who are warming up to supplant the
current executives. A group in the party with the
backing of some kingpins is reported to have
adopted a plot codenamed “operation wipe out all
incumbent executives” which is said to be
causing consternation wthin the party. Some of the
incumbent executives bent on retaining their
positions are also said to have vowed to defend
their positions.
Stay tuned.

Source - Al-hajj

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