[ 2017-04-05 ]

Former President Mahama, Former President Rawlings with Lordina Mahama at a campaign rally

NDC to break up?
Predictions by political analysts in the run up to
last year’s election that a defeat for either of
the two dominant political parties could spell
doom as a result of shock and the storm the defeat
was likely to generate is beginning to manifest in
the National Democratic Congress.

Having been touting itself as the most united
political party in Ghana; the NDC, after painfully
giving away power to the New Patriotic Party, is
now faced with internal wrangling that is steadily
pushing the party into abyss.

Whereas some bigwigs of the party want to blame
former President John Mahama for the excruciating
defeat, other party stalwarts are subtly jabbing
party founder, Jerry John Rawlings and wife, Nana
Konadu for “helping” the NPP unseat the NDC.

Mr Rawlings and Nana Konadu are also being accused
of instigating people of shady character to malign
former appointees of the Mahama administration and
leadership of the NDC with the aim of “taking
over” the party.

The ruling NPP is also taking advantage of the
growing uneasiness in the NDC to further deepen
the cracks in the party. As part of an elaborate
scheme to dismember the party, the Akufo-Addo
government has rolled out plans to harass and
intimidate Mr. Mahama and other potential flag
bearers of the NDC under the guise of probing
their tenure.

This, among others, is shoving the NDC to the
cliff. From the national level, through the
regional and constituencies down to the branches,
virtually every member of the now biggest
opposition party has an axe to grind with another
member of the party over the party’s exit from
power.

This has resulted in intense accusations and
counter accusations amongst leading members of the
Umbrella fraternity and party rank and file in the
media and, at party gatherings organized to plan
for the way forward.

Absence of a "Center"

While the NDC in the past has survived similar
internal wrangling, there are fears the umbrella
party may not be lucky scaling through present
life-threatening challenges.

Unfortunately for the NDC, unlike after its defeat
in the 2000 elections when the late Professor
Mills remained the fulcrum around which the party
revolved, there seem currently to be a void in
leadership as there is no one “inspirational”
figure to stamp authority on the creeping
indiscipline and bring together all the feuding
factions.

After the NDC’s defeat in 2000, the likes of the
late Harry Sawyerr, late Dr Mary Grant; Jerry John
Rawlings among other elders of the party commanded
the respect of virtually all Akatamansonians and
ably assisted late Prof Mills to reorganize the
party ahead of 2004 and 2008 polls which, the
party subsequently won.

Presently, NDC founder, former President Jerry
John Rawlings, who is alive and expected, in
conjunction with the remaining members of the
Council of Elders of the party, to become the
rallying point is himself leading a faction that
has vowed not to see to eye with other bigwigs of
the party, particularly those who stood by late
President Mills and immediate past President
Mahama.

Party stalwarts including Prof Kwesi Botchwey, Cpt
(rtd) Kojo Tsikata, Ato Ahwoi, Kwame Peprah,
Iddrisu Mahama, Totobi Quakyi, Lionel Molbila,
Prof Kwamena Ahwoi among others, also appear to
have lost their standings in the party, and their
voices no more carry the weight needed to whip
everybody in line.

Their influence in the NDC was less felt during
the stewardship of former President Mahama and
this has consigned them to the backstage in the
affairs of the party.

The party’s National Chairman, Kofi Portuphy,
who per the NDC constitution is the official party
leader, is himself lacking the necessary influence
needed to command the respect required at this
critical moment in extinguishing the rising
tension in the party. Also, as a result of the
division within the leadership of the NDC at the
national level, Chairman Portuphy is unable to
rally his colleagues National Executive members to
maintain discipline and to bring sanity to the
torrid times the country’s biggest opposition
party is currently experiencing.

To cap it all, the immediate past party leader and
ex-President, Mr John Mahama, appears handicapped
in applying his privileged position to bring all
factions in the party together. Indeed, the former
President has himself in recent times; come under
sever censure from some kingpins of the party over
the NDC’s unexpected defeat.

Blame Game

The sudden bickering that greeted the party when
it lost the December 2016 elections was
immediately put on hold when the NDC Functional
Executives Committee (FEC) instituted the Prof
Kwesi Botchwey Committee to investigate the
cause(s) of the party’s defeat.

However, this has since been reignited when
leading members of the party last month pounced on
former President Mahama after a newspaper
(perceived to have his eyes and ears) in a
publication stated that he (Mahama) was
threatening to put out names of members of the
National Executives of the party who took money
from him for the 2016 campaign but squandered
same.

Mr. Mahama’s so-called threat, though roundly
condemned, was in response to claims by some
members of the National Executives in the media
that they were sidelined or starved of resources
in last year’s electioneering campaign. These
happenings unfortunately, coincided with subtle
campaign by supporters of the former President for
his comeback in 2020.

In the heat of the hullaballoo, the alleged threat
generated, and as if to confirm rumors that he
(John Mahama) is interested in making a comeback,
the ex-president in a tweet urged party supporters
to remain calm and steadfast and that, “the NDC
will bounce back”.

This statement by Mr. Mahama, which has been
interpreted to mean he is signaling a
“comeback” multiple sources in the party told
this paper, irked some leading members of the
party, particularly; those who say they were
marginalized during his tenure in office.
According to one source, they have therefore vowed
not to support another John Mahama presidential
bid.

This is notwithstanding revelation by the
ex-president’s brother; Mr Ibrahim Mahama that,
the Mahama family has advised him not to yield to
request to lead the NDC into the 2020 elections.

“John has given his all in politics to NDC and
Ghana and we think it is just fair that we allow
him to rest. We were very supportive and
instrumental in convincing him to partner late
Prof Mills, and when the time came for him to
contest for President, we supported him and
advised him to go for it…now we have again
advised him not to make a comeback in 2020,” the
CEO of Engineers and Planners stated.

In a subsequent statement described by many as
perhaps, Mr Mahama’s acquiescence to his family
advice, the former President told a cheering
audience in faraway Nairobi, Kenya, that he has
drawn useful lesson from his late father, Mr
Emmanuel Adamah Mahama’s admonition to quit
“when the applause is loudest”

The former President shared fond memories of how
during his inauguration as President in 2013 at
the Black Star square he “sat and listened to
the applause. It made me remember those faithful
words my father had written in his letter (to then
Ghanaian Head of State, General Acheampong) –
‘leave when the applause is loudest’.
Throughout the course of my presidency, I had both
been applauded and criticized, I was revered and
reviled.”

Scaring Away JM?

Perhaps, as a way of putting fear in Mr Mahama not
to respond to calls on him to lead the NDC into
the next presidential elections, former National
Organizer, Mr Yaw Boateng Gyan, former National
Chairman, Dr Kwabena Adjei; MP for Yunyoo, Hon
Joseph Bipoba Naabu and several others, including
some hitherto unknown amorphous groups have openly
jabbed the former President for causing the
party’s defeat.

"The 2016 electoral defeat of the NDC should be
blamed on [former] President Mahama. He failed to
show leadership. If [former President] Mahama is
to lead the NDC in 2020 elections, he will lose
miserably. I won't support him should he decide to
contest as flagbearer ahead of the 2020
elections," Hon Naabu fired on Asempa Fm.

Explaining why the NDC lost the 2016 election, Mr
Yaw Boateng Gyan also said though “Mahama needs
no further introduction but the structures behind
him were weak and so if we don’t put proper
measures in place to make the structures strong,
if we bring John back 10 times; he will lose 10
times. We need to change the structures and stop
saying we are bringing John again and also calling
him incompetent; all these comments are
unnecessary.”

A group known as Action Movement of NDC, at a
recent press conference blamed Mr Mahama and his
family for the NDC’s 2016 defeat. Its
spokesperson, Kodzo Hamenya Keglo said “We lost
the 2016 elections because of John Dramani Mahama,
his wife, Ibrahim, Alfred and the rest of his
brothers and sisters”.

According to Keglo, while JM was preaching made in
Ghana goods (such as shoes, batik and locally made
clothes), the wife was doing the opposite by
printing T- shirts from China which is a huge
disappointment to Ghanaian printing companies.

“The 20 million pieces of T-shirts JM’s wife
printed from China could have been shared to party
members to print them locally and would have
created a lot of jobs for Ghanaians… When in the
history of Ghana has a first lady printed campaign
T-shirts and become the major source of party
materials in an election? To the extent that the
wife of the president printing Mayafi with her
image on it, does she have presidential ambitions,
she should tell us,” he fumed.

In all of this, NDC deputy General Secretary, Mr
Koku Anyidoho has been nonchalant. He wouldn’t
answer whether he loves Mr Mahama as much as he
claimed he will forever cherishes the late
president Mills when asked on live television
program.

But National Organizer of the NDC, Mr Kofi Adams,
described persons blaming the former president for
the party’s electoral defeat as
“uninformed”, and called on them to “stop
talking anyhow” about the party’s electoral
loss.

“…anyone who makes such conclusions is not
well informed. I will advise people who are not
informed who are not within the structures to stop
talking. There is a committee that has been put in
place, if they have any issue they should go put
those matters before the committee and stop
talking anyhow,” he said.

Mills Brother Joins Fray

To the astonishment of many in the NDC, Dr Cadman
Mills, a brother of late President Mills is also
accusing President Mahama and his government of
treating the late tax Professor shabbily.
According to Dr Mills, almost five years after his
brother’s demise; government was yet to disclose
to the family what the late president was entitled
to as an Article 71 office holder.

“As far as the government is concerned and I
make no difference from the NDC or NPP, they have
treated president Mills shabbily,” Dr. Mills
said.

“Up till this day nobody has called me to say
your brother died in office and according to this
report your brother is entitled to this or
that.”

Portuphy’s Appeal ignored

An attempt by National Chairman of the party to
stop the media war among leading members of the
party has so far fallen on deaf ears. Not even a
statement from Prof Kwesi Botchwey to consolidate
the chairman’s call was enough to restore calm
in the NDC.

A senior lecturer at the University of Education,
Winneba, Dr Ahmed Jinapor has attributed the
crisis in the NDC to what he called “leadership
vacuum.”

"There seems to be a leadership vacuum. Leadership
vacuum in the sense that if I am right, I stand to
be corrected, if a political party like the NDC of
its nature when it is in opposition it is the
National Chairman who takes over the party. But
today, I haven’t heard of the national chairman
speak,” Dr Jinapor told Radio Ghana’s
“Behind the News.”

“As we speak the former president hasn’t
spoken regarding what has happened even though a
body has been mandated to look at the affairs of
the NDC regarding what led it losing. And even
then, as we speak, people are still making
noise,” he added

NDC MPs Divided

The division in the NDC at the various levels has
also been extended to its representatives in
parliament. Reports are that NDC MPs in parliament
are sharply divided along those who are in support
of Mr Mahama’s comeback in 2020 and those
against it.

The bribery allegation that rocked the country’s
legislative arm’s Appointments Committee early
this year, is said to have further deepened the
cracks within the minority side of the lawmaking
House. A source in parliament said this has
resulted in lack of coordination among NDC MPs
which is impeding the smooth working of the
minority.

Political commentators have warned that if the NDC
does not take immediate steps to put its house in
order, the party could risk breaking up.

General Overseer of the Glorious Waves Church,
Prophet Badu Kobi has cautioned the NDC to call
for an early congress since that is the only way
to end the ongoing infighting in the party,
insisting that until new leaders are elected to
manage the party, they will continue to blame and
fight each other.

Valerie Roars At JJ, Konadu

Meanwhile, a Senior Policy Adviser and Head of
Presidential Delivery Unit in the erstwhile Mahama
Administration, Dr Valerie Sawyerr has accused
former President, Jerry John Rawlings and wife,
Nana Konadu, of hiding behind phony groups to
malign leading members of the National Democratic
Congress.

According to Dr Sawyerr, since the painful defeat
of the NDC in last year’s election, the NDC
founder and wife, Konadu, have resorted to
instigating activists of the party to injure the
reputation of kingpins of the biggest opposition
party who they accuse of causing the party’s
defeat.

In an allegorical write-up in response to
accusations and allegations by a group, “Action
Movement of NDC” against her (Dr Sawyerr) and
other NDC bigwigs including former President John
Mahama of causing the party’s exit from power,
the former Head of Presidential Delivery Unit
alleges that, the group was doing the bidding
“of some section aiming to take over the reins
of NDC going forward”

Show Your Faces

Short of mentioning the names of Mr Rawlings and
his wife, Nana Konadu, who have since the NDC’s
defeat been rumored planning a takeover of the
party, Dr Sawyerr wrote “I dare the actual
persons behind the group to show their faces. Do
not hide and pull these pathetic strings. If you
are really men and/or women – show your faces!
Cowards!!!”

Dr Sawyerr continued “When you send gullible
young men to do your dirty work, it is important
that you draft better statements for them to read.
Statements which will enable them to get the
message across, no matter how dirty the message,
but in a manner that will not expose the young men
to legal action. When you push them to
categorically state that ‘X is a thief’, you
have exposed them to legal action. But if you put
in your draft that ‘there seems to be a
widespread perception that X has misappropriated
campaign funds’, you would have managed to get
your message across while still protecting the
young men. It may be a nasty untruthful message,
but it would be safer for the stooges you are
using to do your hatchet job.”

While Dr Sawyerr failed to name those she alleged
were behind the group; many contributors to her
write-up on social media who are mostly believed
to be NDC sympathizers, pointed accusing fingers
at the founder of the NDC, Jerry John Rawlings and
his wife, Nana Konadu.

Dr Sawyerr’s description of the leaders of the
group as, known NDC activists who are also, stanch
devotees of the NDC founder and his wife, who
played key roles in FONKAR may have giving her
readers a clue as to who the “puppet master
and/or puppet mistress” are

“…I sent pictures to some of the youth on the
ground to see if they could identify others in the
group. One of the gentlemen was described to me as
a ‘chicken thief’. They claim that anywhere
you see him, if you have live chickens, ensure
that you do not take your eyes off the chickens.
The message that came back was ‘Madam please
don’t mind him he is called ‘Kankpe Wuor’
because he is known for stealing chickens. Chicken
in the Ga dialect is ‘wuor’. ‘Kankpe’
means something that is hardened. They claim he
was a FONKAR boy. I do not know if this is so,”
Dr Sawyerr’s wrote.

According to her, “…I remember one day, as I
walked into Flagstaff House, I met someone at the
entrance who greeted me nicely. It was obvious he
knew who I was, even though I didn’t know him. I
smiled nicely and struck up a conversation. He
walked with me towards the elevator. On our way he
said ‘Madam have you seen that tall man over
there’. I looked and saw a dark gentleman
standing there. He looked quite presentable. I
asked what the problem was. He said ‘he is an
armed robber, he poses as part of national
security but has been doing very dangerous dirty
jobs robbing people’. I said - ‘as in actual
armed robber?’ he said ‘yes’. I told him not
to spread rumours but he insisted that he knew
what he was saying.

We parted at the elevator, as I wanted to walk up
the stairs for exercise…

“Even though I had tried to brush away what he
said, I quickly called one of the security heads,
described the man to him and told them to check on
his background and if he was a suspicious
character they should be circumspect in allowing
him into the Flagstaff House to prevent any
possible scandals. As I looked at the pictures, I
recognized him in a khaki vest. I understand he
was JJ’s boy. I do not know if this is so, Dr
Sawyerr added.

The Group’s Allegation

The Action Movement of NDC last week launched
scathing attacks on former President Mahama, his
wife, Mrs Lordina Mahama, his siblings and other
kingpins of the biggest opposition party, tagging
them as “greedy bastards”.

Addressing a press conference , spokesperson for
the group, Kodzo Hamenya Keglo alleged that, the
former president’s brothers were the main reason
why the NDC lost the 2016 elections, accusing them
of collecting all contracts from Airport, Roads,
Cocobod, GNPC, ECG, VRA, Ministry of Power and all
major contracts in the country.

“If you don’t see JM brothers, you cannot get
a contract and if you see them, then you have to
pay money before you get the contract, frustrating
foreign contractors and companies by taking
Ghanaian contractors for granted and creating
enemies for the NDC party,” the group added.

Dr Sawyerr Fires Back

But in a quick and direct riposte, Dr Sawyerr
said, the group was only doing the bidding of the
former military strongman and his wife who are
bent on denigrating some bigwigs of the umbrella
party.

She wrote: “If the victims of that press
conference decide to resort to court process, you
- the puppet master and/or puppet mistress - will
be coolly relaxed in your room while the puppets
face the storm. That does not show that you care
about the puppets. It means you are prepared to
sacrifice the puppets for your own agenda.

And to the puppets, I say - whenever you are
looking for a tree under whose branches you will
seek refuge, please find a good solid tree with
branches that provide shade, not a diseased tree
with thin branches, which keep falling to the
ground.” Read Dr. Valerie Sawyerr’s full
write-up on page 22

Akufo-Addo Targets NDC Leaders

The aL-hAJJ can also confirm that President
Akufo-Addo and the governing New Patriotic Party
are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to
weaken and possibly, dismember the opposition NDC
ahead of next general elections in 2020.

Latest intelligence report gathered by this paper
indicates that, the president has activated his
long-planned mission to ‘go after’ his
political opponents, especially flag bearer
hopefuls of the main opposition party.

EOCO To Execute Plot

Classified information scooped by the intelligence
desk of The aL-hAJJ has unearthed plans by
national security and strategists of the NPP under
the direct supervision of President Akufo-Addo, to
use the Economic and Organized Crime Office (EOCO)
to intimidate and, or dent the image of leading
members of the NDC particularly; those with
ambition to lead the party into the 2020
elections.

The nation’s spy agency, The aL-hAJJ is reliably
informed, has started digging into the
stewardships of some leading lights of the NDC.

Those Being Targeted

Among them include, immediate past vice-Chancellor
of UPSA and former Board Chairman of SSNIT, Prof
Joshua Alabi; the former Managing Director of BOST
and TOR, Mr. Kinsley Kwame Awuah Darkoh; former
Chief Executive of NHIA, Mr Sylvester Mensah,
former Chief of Staff at the Presidency, Mr Julius
Debrah and former Minister of Trade, Dr Ekow
Spio-Gabrah, who are all been rumored to be eyeing
the NDC flag bearer post.

Unrelenting in its effort to find fault with any
potential NDC 2020 flag bearer, the Akufo Addo
government, a highly placed source told this
paper, has ordered EOCO to scrutinize acts of
omission and commission and all transaction and
contracts entered into by Trade and Industry
ministry under former Minister, Dr Spio Gabrah
including alleged “last minute” auctioning of
cars he is alleged to have sanctioned.

Even though former NHIA boss, Mr. Sylvester Mensah
was last year cleared of any wrongdoing during his
tenure by the out-gone administration, the Nana
Addo government, our source says, is frantically
shopping for ‘new’ incriminating evidence to
nail him.

A source at the flagstaff house told this paper
that, foremost among senior members of past
government president Akufo Addo wants indicted
aside ex-president Mahama is, the former
president’s former Chief of Staff; Mr Julius
Debrah.

“He is among the most important people being
investigated…Nana believes that if they are able
to find fault with Mr. Debrah it will then be
easier linking it to John Mahama. It is believed
that as the former president’s Chief of Staff;
whatever Julius Debrah did must have been on the
orders of John Mahama so when they manage to
gather enough evidence of any wrongdoing on
Debrah’s part, it will also be traced to John.
This is all being done to smear them.”

Pro-NPP papers start smear campaign

In the coming days, pro-government newspapers will
start publishing allegations of financial
impropriety and other incriminating stories
including issues of money laundering about former
president Mahama and his better half, Mrs. Lordina
Mahama.

Already, NPP tabloids have started publishing
supposed shady deals by former SSNIT Board
Chairman, Prof Alabi and Mr Awuah Darkoh, former
TOR and BOST Managing Director.

While the pro-government papers claim Prof Alabi
sanctioned “questionable” sale of SSNIT landed
properties as Board Chairman of the state pension
fund, Mr Awuah Darkoh is also being accused of
entering into an alleged shady $39 million
contract to build an office complex for BOST.

Alabi Refutes Allegation

However, Prof Alabi has since denied the claims,
insisting “it cannot be true that the former
board decided to sell properties at the eleventh
hour as claimed by the daily guide. The sale has
therefore not begun and could not have been
concluded by the previous board”

Plans to Destabilize NDC

Our intelligence report reveal that president
Akufo-Addo and his National Security in cahoots
with other state agencies have resolved to make
the 2020 elections a walk over for the ruling NPP
by destabilizing the main opposition NDC and
lowering its public image and that of its
potential leaders in the eyes of Ghanaian
electorate.

“There are number of plans in the offing to
disintegrate the NDC and make it less attractive.
Aside working to get some of it members to foment
trouble within the party, there are also plans to
harass potential NDC flag bearers for 2020 by
using EOCO,” an intelligence officer told this
paper on strict condition of anonymity.

Other sources at the seat of government have long
hinted this paper of plans to “handle the NDC in
a manner that it will not come to power anytime
soon…this will be done by targeting persons who
will serve as source of strength and inspiration
for the party’s revival.”

A senior member of government averse to the
President Akufo Addo’s malicious plots told this
paper “the ministry of National Security is
monitoring closely the movements of some senior
members of the NDC rumored to be interested in the
party’s flag bearer post for 2020. As soon as
they gather concrete evidence that they will
contest the NDC flag bearer position, EOCO will be
unleashed on them.”

According to the senior NPP member “all that is
required to keep their eyes off the NDC flag
bearer post is to accuse them of corruption and
put them under investigation like what is
happening to Opuni. In some instances, their
accounts and assets will be frozen to deny them
the financial muscle to embark on their political
ambition.”

Mahama Not Left Out

The president, Akufo-Addo and his team, according
to the source, are also keeping close eye on
former President John Mahama on “whether he will
make a comeback in 2020 or not…indeed, Mahama is
the prime target and the plot is to destroy his
image such that; in the event he decides to make a
comeback, he would be unattractive to the Ghanaian
electorate.”

“John Mahama is not being left out of this plot.
He may or may not lead the NDC into the 2020
elections. But the president’s team has decided
to start attacking him, his family and close
associates. His record in office will also be
shredded into pieces to discourage him of making a
comeback; that is, if he has intentions of leading
the NDC again,” the source added.

NDC Exits Power

The John Mahama-led NDC government lost the
December 2016 elections to the NPP led by Nana
Akufo-Addo in a keenly contested election.

As part of measures to recapture power in 2020,
the NDC has constituted a 13 member committee to
investigate the party’s loss and make
recommendation on the way forward for the party.

Though the committee, led by Prof Kwesi Botchwey
is yet to conclude its work, names of some NDC
gurus including immediate past president, Mr. John
Mahama, has come up strongly in the media and
party circles as potential 2020 flag bearers.

While some NDC flag bearer hopefuls are fervently
lacing their boots, some senior members of the
party, MPs and party activists are insisting that;
former President Mahama is the party’s best bet
for the next presidential election.

But the immediate family of the former president
is also reported to have advised Mr. Mahama to
give up on plans to lead the NDC again

Mr Mahama himself has remained tight lipped on his
political future except to say at a recent lecture
on “democracy in Africa” in Kenya that;
leaders must learn to leave when the applause is
loudest. Perhaps, to clear the minds of
“doubting Thomases”, the former President only
last week reiterated this point at the 2017 Africa
Development Conference held at the Harvard
University, USA; “you come, you serve, you go.
That is what democracy is and should be the
principle for Ghana and Africa’s leaders.”

Kingpins of the main opposition party whose names
have been flying in the media as flag bearer
hopefuls have also not confirm or deny their
intentions to lead the NDC into the 2020
elections.

But sources in government say “those whose names
have come up are being monitored and will soon
have EOCO to contend with. That is the surest way
to deprive the NDC of a formidable candidate in
the 2020 elections.”

Source - The Al-Hajj

... go Back