Joshua Alabi Cold-Shouldered At Founder’s Day March....Ade Coker Explains

Greater Accra Region Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Joseph Ade Coker says he is not unaware that some leading members of the party wanted to mount last Thursday’s platform to “campaign”.

But according to him, he had to stop them since “nobody has told me they are campaigning”.

Followers of the leading NDC member Professor Joshua Alabi, who is believed to be interested in running for the party’s presidential primary, were angry on Thursday at the refusal of the organizers to allow their icon to speak.

Organisers allowed some key personalities including National Chairman Kofi Portuphy to talk to the supporters. But others such as Prof Alabi were disallowed though they joined the walk, which was staged in solidarity with ‘Founder of Ghana’ Dr. Kwame Nkrumah.

We didn’t go on the platform to campaign,” Mr Ade Coker said on TV3‘s News @10 on Thursday.

He said the march was a unity walk organised as part of the recommendations of the Kwesi Botchwey Committee report and not to permit potential presidential aspirants to take advantage of solidarity march to campaign.

He again mentioned that the organizers agreed that only the Greater Accra Regional Chairman, National Chairman and NDC Members of Parliament in the region will address the gathering.

Therefore, any other person was barred from mounting the platform”, he explained.

Mr Ade Coker emphasized “after all, none of the positions within the party has been opened up for new aspirants”.

He further claimed the unity and ‘healing of wounds’ agenda is more important than any aspirant mounting the stage to campaign.

What we need to do is to reorganize because if you don’t reorganize, who will vote for you?”, he quizzed.