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There seems to be no turning back on the decision of former First Lady and wife of the founder of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings to contest President John Evans Atta Mills for the party�s flagbearership position. There have been calls by some members of the NDC for her to back down but she rather appears to be fired up for the open contest scheduled for July 8-10 in Sunyani. Spokesman for the Rawlingses Kofi Adams said the former First Lady did not pick up nomination forms to merely contest the sitting President. �It is about saving the NDC from a defeat that is facing us clearly,� he explained. In an interview with Daily Guide yesterday, he said the Konadu camp duly appreciated the fact that there was the need for unity in the NDC but said that would not make the former First Lady step down. He therefore urged those calling for a truce to tell the President in plain language that �2012 is not for him; his flame is off now�.� Kofi Adams said, �What President Mills needs to do now is to prepare to join the campaign to make it easier for an NDC victory in supporting Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.� Late Thursday evening, Coordinator for the Nana Konadu 2012 Campaign, Berrick Namburr issued a statement in which he diffused speculations making the rounds that several attempts were made by various individuals and groups to stop Mrs. Rawlings from contesting President Mills for the flagbearership position of the NDC, describing them as lies. According to him, these were false impressions being created in the minds of party delegates and Ghanaians as though the former first couple had a veiled agenda to contest President Mills, irrespective of his performance in government. �It is not true that attempts were made to dissuade Nana Konadu from contesting President Mills. It is equally a lie that members of the Council of Elders of the National Democratic Congress prevailed upon Nana Konadu not to contest the presidential primaries,� the statement indicated. The Campaign Manager for President Mills had said that the NDC�s Council of Elders tried in vain to persuade Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings to rescind her decision to vie for the party�s flagbearership position. J. H. Owusu-Acheampong said although the Council of Elders met with the former First Lady to prevail on her to let the president stand alone, Nana Konadu had stood her ground. He said Mrs. Rawlings� refusal to withdraw her presidential ambition was due to the apparent misinformation her husband, Jerry John Rawlings, received about President Mills� way of ruling the country. But the Konadu group gave different reasons why the founder�s wife decided to contest President Mills for the flagbearership position, stressing, �Nana Konadu is contesting the primaries because she recognizes that our current presidency has no vision for the party and is not driven by a desire to perpetuate the ideals of probity, accountability, freedom and justice.� Apart from that, Berrick Namburr noted that like many other Ghanaians and her supporters, she �recognizes the state of hopelessness and despondency the current government has brought into the ranks of the party�. More importantly, the campaign coordinator said, she was contesting the presidency because she believed in the ideals of the NDC which recognized that all persons who qualified according to the constitution of the party and Ghana, and who had diligently served their party, had the inalienable right to put themselves up for selection as officers. He claimed that �all discerning Ghanaians have appreciated the former President�s genuine concerns about the manner government has handled pending issues of criminality and corruption involving the past government�. Also, he indicated that the agitations by foot-soldiers across the length and breadth of the country were not elicited by Rawlings� comments but were �spontaneous reactions borne by the failure of the Mills government to heed the voice of the men and women who supported the NDC to victory in 2008/9�. This, according to him and the fact that government was dragging the party into opposition, was what compelled these same disappointed supporters to ask Nana Konadu to contest. Mr. Namburr emphasized, �It is therefore absurd and ridiculous that infantile attempts are being made by some people to reduce the candidature of Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings to one of a petty desire to be President by all means.� He asked all delegates and supporters of the NDC to continue to remain resolute and withstand all direct and subtle pressures at twisting their arms from voting for Nana Konadu since she represented the will of the people.