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Managing Editor of The Daily Dispatch, Mr Ben Ephson, is gradually establishing himself not just only as an accomplished Pollster, but may also qualify as a “prophet” when he cautioned eldest daughter of former first family, Dr Zenator Agyeman Rawlings, not to allow her father (parents) to be deep in her campaign as that could cause her, her political ambition.

Few weeks after this admonishing and, after she has won the hearts and support of many Ghanaians and has been tipped by even virulent critics of her parents to win the parliamentary candidate slot of the National Democratic Congress in Klottey Korle constituency; Dr Zenator Agyeman Rawlings’ bright political career appears to be heading to the ditch.

This follows some unfortunate utterances and pronouncements by her parents, former President Jerry John Rawlings and wife, Nana Konadu, which analysts believe could hurt the political future of Dr. Zenator.

Mr. and Mrs Rawlings’ recent open endorsement of demand by the opposition New Patriotic Party on the Electoral Commission to compile a new voters’ register for the 2016 elections has infuriated many NDC supporters especially, those who hitherto; were in full support of Zenator’s political journey.

Reports reaching The aL-hAJJ are that NDC capos and “ordinary” supporters who for some reasons have fallen-out with the Rawlingses, but have openly endorsed Dr Zenator’s parliamentary ambition and have been vigorously campaigning for her, have started revising their notes.

Their fear is that “from the looks of things, it appear the former President and the wife, are still not happy with the NDC…with the kind of support we’ve shown their daughter, we were expecting them to be on the same page with us (NDC), but with what they have said regarding the voters’ register, clearly they are not for us.”

“What they have started doing is a foretaste of what they are likely to use Zenator to do in the NDC if we finally elect her MP. To be frank with you, I’m beginning to rethink my dalliance with Zenator…I would have loved to see her lead this constituency, but the way her parents are behaving, I’m beginning to suspect that when we elect her, she will tow the lines of her parents and that will affect the NDC,” a branch youth organizer of the NDC in one of the branches in Klottey constituency who pleaded anonymity told The aL-hAJJ.

Dr. Zanetor herself few days ago, kick start her campaign on a faulty note in her first public interview with Bernard Avle on Viasat 1 TV when she was unable to grade the performance of her party’s sitting President, John Mahama when asked by the host. “I can’t rate Mahama. I’m not a rating organization. The elections next year will determine how the people see the government,” was her response.

This did not go down well with some gurus and members of the governing party who have since counseled the medical-trained daughter of the NDC founder to get her act together if she indeed, desire to be in politics on the ticket of the NDC.
Some members of the ruling party were again disappointment in party founder, for openly endorsing and campaigning for Dr Zanetor last Sunday at the launch of her campaign.

Calling on the Klottey Korle Constituency to vote massively for his daughter, Dr. Zanetor, former President Jerry John Rawlings described his daughter as a selfless person who he has a lot of respect for.

“She does not have selfish tendencies, she is a selfless person and that is why I love and respect her so pleases vote for her,” Mr Rawlings stated, adding that, “If we do not change our attitude in the party it will be difficult for us to improve our electoral fortunes”.
This open endorsement by the NDC founder on his daughter many party supporters say is gross violation of the NDC constitution which is against party executives including the founder, canvassing support for contestants in an election.

Meanwhile, this paper’s sources in the Klottey Korle constituency narrated how some members of the NDC in the SNAPS JSS1, Standard Education, Super Service A and B, Atimpoku, Midway, Mercy Preparatory School and other branches in the constituency organized a meeting over the weekend to review the NDC founder and his wife’s statement on the voters’ register.

The meeting was said to have ended with a resolution to monitor the Rawlingses in the coming days, “if they continue to say things that are completely at variance with the party’s position, then we cannot guarantee their daughter victory in the primaries.”

The aL-hAJJ has also gathered that there are some kingpins of the ruling party in the constituency who would not mind working against the 37 year-old daughter of the NDC founder even if she goes ahead to win the November 7 primaries of the party.

“We are all rooting for Zenator, but the behavior of his parents is a worry to some of us. We don’t want what happened to Mills to happen to Mahama. When Nana Konadu announced her intention to contest the vice chairperson position, we all supported her to win only to turn around to work against the party, we don’t want that to happen again…we don’t want to repeat that mistake again,” a well-known NDC capo (name withheld) stated.

Former President Rawlings and wife, Nana Konadu, have all waded into the brouhaha over the country’s voter’s register ahead of next year’s elections.

Speaking to leaders of pro-opposition pressure group, Let My Vote Count Alliance (LMVCA) who paid a courtesy call on him at his residence, the former President said “2016 is going to be another challenging electoral process. There is a lot of stress involved and it is going to be a test on all of us. In order to minimize the stressfulness into 2016, everything possible must be done to ensure a very credible electoral process which means that we listen to what some of the elders are saying in the churches etc, to examine what’s going on, to give the registry, the electoral process into the elections a very credible climate, a very credible instrument and platform; I think let’s do it” he stated.
In a similar engagement with the anti-government pressure group, Nana Konadu stressed that changing the voter register, which she and some other NPP insist is bloated, is a must.

“It is not for the EC chair to decide whether the register must be changed or not. Once there is evidence that there is a problem with it, something must be done to avoid problems during the elections,” she asserted.

Their position is against the NDC’s position that the register ought to be audited to make it “credible” other than compiling a new one.

These developments, some worried members of the NDC say validates claims by Dr Zenator’s political opponents that the parents want to use her to launch another agenda aimed at causing disaffection for the ruling party, going into the 2016 elections.