The aL-hAJJ is reliably informed of moves by former President Jerry John Rawlings and his hirelings to force a take-over of the leadership and management of the opposition National Democratic Congress from its present handlers.
Known for his adroit covert political antics, mostly denied at its initial stages, the ceremonial NDC founder, according to intelligence available to this paper, is backing cadres and so-called members of 31st December Movement who are moving round the country mobilizing NDC supporters in the name of reorganization of the biggest opposition party.
In his recent interaction with the Volta Caucus of the Minority side in Parliament, Mr Rawlings spoke bitterly of how the NDC “has been ambushed and held hostage” by persons he failed to name, insisting that “the time has come to free the truth.”
“What our supporters need is candor. If you want them to stay united, if you want them to be a little strong, all you can offer them now is candor. Don’t engage in political talk (whatever that means) of the past,” the former President stated.
Though Functional Executive Committee of the NDC has set up a 13 member Committee led by Professor Kwesi Botchwey to investigate why the party performed miserably in last December elections and, to make recommendations on the way forward for the party, Mr Rawlings and his men are reported averse to this move.
Sources close to the NDC founder have disclosed to this paper that the former military strongman believes the present handlers of the party want to use the committee to hide their failures in order to perpetuate their stay in office.
In order to checkmate this supposed scheming by the Kofi Portuphy-led National Executives of the NDC, Mr Rawlings is reported to have given his blessings to two groups to go for the jugular in a bid to “rescue the party.”
The NDC Founder has however deny claims suggesting he is scheming to take over the party, “I wish I could say yes, but I think it sounds better in my ear to say that I want God to come and lead us because of the integrity factor. God can be found in the truth.”
Nonetheless, The aL-hAJJ has gathered that a new think tank, the Crusade for Probity and Accountability, and a group calling itself Coalition for Rejuvenation and Reorganizing of the NDC (CCR), mainly made up of known allies of Mr Rawlings, have since emerged ostensibly to help in reorganization of the party to position it battle ready for 2020.
Addressing a news conference in Accra last week, spokesperson of CCR, Kunkum Ampiah, kicked against decision on the formation of the Prof Kwesi Botchwey-led Committee, insisting that the reorganization of the NDC should be the prime focus of the party instead of investigating what led to the party’s defeat.
“We do not need a fact-finding committee to explain December 7. We lost because hundreds of thousands of our members and supporters boycotted the polls for years of neglect by the leadership and some arrogant and ineffective election campaigners,” Mr. Ampiah stated.
Citing reasons for the party’s defeat, Mr. Ampiah said “our members and supporters say the party (NDC) abandoned its grassroots base – working people, youth, women and indigenous business people once it got power.”
“Instead of policies, programs and institutions to uplift this considerable and important constituency, our government offered only spin.”
“Our members and supporters say the party’s presidential and parliamentary campaigns sidelined experienced hands and party organs in favor of inexperienced and unaccountable appointees, relatives and friends.”
Touching on the rationale behind the formation of the group, Mr. Ampiah said “we have come together because of the crushing defeat of our party in both presidential and parliamentary elections on December 7 and the leadership collapse that it has exposed.”
Even before the NDC handed over power to the NPP, Crusade for Probity and Accountability also organized press conference, demanding the resignation of all national executives for overseeing the worst defeat of a sitting government under Ghana’s fourth republic.
“In the interest of the party, the national leadership should offer the best Christmas gift to the party especially its grassroots supporters by communicating to the council of elders their decisions to step aside en bloc at the earliest day possible,” the Convener of the group, Dr. Kwesi Djokoto, said at its inaugural press conference in December last year.
The two groups have been reiterating long held view of former President Rawlings that the current leadership of the NDC has drifted from the core principles and values on which the party was formed.
Mr Rawlings has since, the return of NDC to power in 2009; been having running battles with leading members of his own party, with his wife breaking away from the NDC to form her own party and succeeded in contesting the last presidential election.
Both Mr and Mrs Rawlings have never spared officials of the NDC, including the late President Mills and former President John Mahama. Some have alleged Rawlings worked with the NPP to defeat the NDC.
The NDC founder was conspicuously missing in the party’s 2012 and 2016 campaigns. When he was offered opportunity to speak at the NDC’s campaign launch at Cape Coast in the Central Region on Sunday, August 14, 2016, Mr Rawlings said “the task ahead of you won’t be an easy task. I will reserve what I have to say till after the elections when I will come round the country to share with you how I think we could restore the kind of strength that can take us well into the future. There are certain weaknesses that we need to deal with.”
This statement, some political pundits have observed, was to send a signal to the NDC that Mr Rawlings was indifferent to the party’s victory in the last election and only wanted “the party to lose so he could find ways to use his assigns to take over the party.”
This however, dovetails into present goings-on in the NDC over who becomes the fulcrum around which the party will revolve going into the next election.
Source: The Al-Hajj
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Oh , then the ndc will forever stay in opposition, if that is what the rawlings' wants. Becos im not sure the Mahama block will give in easely to the rawlings'. I have been privy to a meeting konadu had in the western region, that the people shd help her send ndc to opposition , for her she knows that she will not win. Look even fidel castro has left cuba.Posterity will judge all of us.
Jojo what is your problem? Greediness leads to achieving nothing,compare those you've mentioned to Kwaku Annanse story and you will understand what I mean. First of all,Flt.Lt Rawlings was a soldier and didn't know these people you mentioned,the June 4th revolution was all military Flt.Lt Rawlings became a civilian after handing over to Dr Limann. The PNDC brought about all these people because the leader and the Chairman had become a civilian and these people went to him by themselves because of his charisma not that Rawlings invited them,he didn't know them. 2ndly,most of these people joined him because they perceived themselves as Nkrumaists and Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings father being a stounch cpp man they accepted them,little did they know they were a bunch of greedy people some from poor homes and wanted to make a living. Flt.Lt Rawlings shielded and protected these people when people were reporting their excesses and their real and true characters. Jojo I'm telling you,it was through President Rawlings and his wife that these people you mentioned became somebody and known in Ghana. One good turn deserves another. Prof. Mills was teaching at Legon and only his students and colleagues knew him,after all his education nobody knew him in Ghana until President Rawlings brought him to light. You people must be appreciative a little bit. My question is if those you mentioned were anything why didn't they help in building the cpp they touting themselves about? Why did they neglect cpp to join the ndc this show how greedy they are. Dr Nkrumah was from the Western region but even those Ghanaians at that part do not proud themselves with the cpp like these greedy bastards. What is your problem about Rawlings taking his party back? What law and who can prevent him from taking ndc? NDC is Rawlings and Rawlings is ndc the rest are greedy,hateful,***barred word*** and thi*ves get a life for he didn't form the ndc for the Ahwoi brothers, the Amissah Arthurs,the Totobi Kwakyes and the so called Fanti confederacy caucus in the ndc. They are the ones he is Damn angry with. Why are they not visiting President Rawlings if they have good intentions about him? The blackmailing and back biting for riches must STOP.
Massa; who in his/her right mind wrote this load of fantasy politics because all that is contained in this long toxic epistle is a load of alternative facts aimed at telling Ghanaians and NDC members that there is a credible party called the NDC-COMPLETE FAECES !!!!!!; The NDC is not and have never been a party with strategic objectives ; this voluntary organisation is a pack of misfits ; educated illiterates ; loud mouth ediots ; thiffs and misguided elements whose aims just like their founder JJ Rawlings ; was full of envy hatred and full of lies and a corrupt human being ; the party has no strategic objectives but the founder JJ Rawlings and his cronies full of ewes and some misguided tribesmen deluded themselves about the meaning od Probity; accountability and transparency to full the Ghanaian ; the party was full of DISHONEST individuals who were out to make money for themselves through the political avenue ;the illiterate educated alternative elite had no experience in their field of thought ; Fifi Kwettey ; Omani Boama ; Felix Kwakye; Ablakwa wwere a complete disaster and messed up the economy ; today how can JJ Rawlings take up a bankrupt party -NO WAY BECAUSE NDC IS FINISHED AND WILL NEVER COME BACK AGAIN !!!!!!!!
Mr. Asiedu Nkatia, Ofosu Ampofo, JDM, Amissag Arthur, Joe Debrah, Dr. Kwesi Boctway, Spio, Goosih etc, why are you worrying yourself? Give the party to him JJ and the wife, Konadu to run their party. You have done your part and bit and we are witnesses of that, how you worked hard to support these Rawlings and wife when they were in power,even though there were a lot of bribery allegations against his appointees like Adjei Marfo,late victor Salomey,Captain Tikata, Tsatsu,Victor Gheho,Kanadu Agyemang Rawlings herself but we supported him and his wife ante Konadu to rule for more than eight years Even after our defeat in 2000,it was ASiedu Nkatia, Ama Bayiwa Doe, Ofosu Ampofo, Kwesi Pratt,JDM,Atta Mills who defended Konadu and Rawlings over series of allegations of corruption and infact our actions prevented their prosecution. Bravo,men and women, you have done your part, and may God bless you. When late Atta Mills won, they did not give him chance to rule, insulted him and called him Atta 'Morturyman'and that provided tonic for the opposition to attack Atta Mills right from day one because he Rawlings is the man man to appoint ministers for Atta Mills. He did not also support JDM and our information is that votarians refused to vote because of we have denied rawlings?. Is that what they are also saying? Now Rawlings and Akkufo Addo children are in marriage path so he has to support him to win, what a greedy bunch of people. Let see who will vote for NDC if they make an attempt to retake as they are claiming. Give it to them to take possession
Which NDC party is he taking over? Are we abreast with the laws that governs political parties? No body owns a political party in Ghana to take over.
LOL. what did u expect? Some of us saw it coming after that fateful statement at the campaign launch. Trust me, NDC leadership will not know what hit them. Do u really think Husband and wife will run 2 different parties and have peace at home? NDP was formed to make NDC lose. NDC will divide with Rawlings laying claim to the name NDC, then NDP will come back to the Rawlings NDC. That is the end of NDC as a party that can come into power. MArtin Amidu, Gossie Tano..........it is coming like KAKAI!