At the time the leadership and council of Elders of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are praying for an end to the ongoing election petition at the Supreme Court, the national chairman of the party is busy preparing to retain his post.
The chairmanship race of NDC is heating up and the incumbent Dr. Kwabena Adjei whose popularity among delegates is on the decline has set his campaign machinery in full swing ahead of the national delegates� congress slated for December this year.
The incumbent chairman initially planned to launch his campaign at end of last month but for mysterious reasons, he had to suspend the event and it is unclear when he intends to do so.
Dr. Adjei�s team has been touring various constituencies to announce his third term bid whiles he himself has been meeting other stakeholders in Accra.
Last Thursday, the NDC national chairman met some delegates at GNAT Hall and told them why he was seeking to contest the chairmanship position for the third time running.
Dr. Adjei who is also the current Getfund Board chairman, came under a lot of criticism from parliamentary candidates of NDC for not providing any support for them during 2012 electioneering campaign.
Even though he always insisted that he did not have money because he was not being paid by the party, the NDC national chairman appears very rich ,he is now promising each regional chairman a vehicle should they support his re-election bid.
The former Biakoye MP has also promised to buy each regional woman organizer a car. Dr. Adjei with the support of all the power brokers in NDC defeated Dr. Obed Asamoah in one of the most acrimonious contests in the history of the party in 2005.
Following the rancorous contest, Dr. Asamoah left to form his own party, the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP). He however returned to NDC after the party won power in 2008 but he is unlikely to support Dr. Adjei�s third term bid. In January last year Dr Adjei in a letter to late president Mills expressed concern about the rising division with the party and the frustration he is going through as chairman.He acknowledged the fact that he did not support the party financially because he didn�t have it,but now he is in position to give each regional chairman a car for their support.
A source within the NDC told this paper that the national chairman has lost touch with the party�s grassroots base. The source jokingly remarked, �the way he was defeated in the Biakoye parliamentary primaries in 2004, that is the same way he would be defeated in the 2013 chairmanship contest.�
Party insiders say they are looking for a selfless and dedicated person committed to the welfare of members to lead them. �It is essential for our next party chairman to be a strong leader with proven ability to re-organize the party for the next four years,� one insider confided in the paper.
A former NDC MP in the central region who wants to remain anonymous said party delegates must vote massively against Dr. Adjei to serve as a warning to others who take party members for granted. The party got nothing from him as Board chairman of Getfund during the campaign, but he is now ready to buy cars for party executives for their vote and support. Where did he get the money from. Is it from Getfund kickback��.
Workers at the NDC Headquarters have rejected Dr Kwabena Adjei simply because they claim he doesn�t care about their welfare.
Apart from Dr Kwabena Adjei, NADMO Boss Kofi Portuphy and former Local government minister Ofosu Ampofo are all said to be interested in the chairmanship.
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