Bismark Bebli, George Kyei Frimpong & Edmond Gyebi
3 April 2008
THE RUNNINGMATE Controversy that has hit the main opposition, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has sent tongues wagging among the party's top echelons including the former first family.
The latest development has pushed the wife of the former President, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings to openly declare ther rejection of the purported selection of John Mahama, the Member of Parliament for Bole Bamboi and their unflinching support to Betty Mould Iddrisu, the wife of Alhaji Mahama Iddrisu, who serves as the national campaign chairman for the NDC.
Most senior members of the party that this paper spoke with, expressed disgust about the media reports that the flagbearer of the NDC, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, had settled on the affable John Mahama and had even received the blessing of the Rawlingses.
The wife of the former President, Mrs. Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, has also dismissed allegations that she was the brain behind sections of women who petitioned the flagbearer recently at his Osu Kuku-Hill office, to pick Mrs. Betty Mould Iddrisu as his runningmate.
'It is totally false. I support her but I don't back her. I would not be afraid to even lead the demonstrators to support her bid if I want to," she told sections of the press in a visibly angry mood yesterday at their Ridge residence.
According to her, as a veteran politician who has been in the thick and thin of affairs of the NDC, she would not sit down unconcerned for people she described as latter day saints to destroy the party, by sending false information about the former first family to the media.
Mrs. Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, who turns 60 in October this year, stressed that it was palpably untrue that Prof. Mills had met with her husband to settle on John Mahama as against the structures of the party.
The former first lady, who recounted her involvement in political activities since her days in school, maintained that as a gender activist, she would continue to support Mrs. Betty Mould Iddrisu, apart from the fact she was qualified by her own standard.
To her, it would be the best thing to happen in the NDC if Mrs.Betty Mould is picked to partner Prof. Mills, in order to avoid the controversy that is seemingly coming up between the supporters of John Mahama and Mohammed Mumuni, the former running mate of the law professor.
When this paper asked whether the selection of Betty would only support the perception that Prof. Mills was not a man of himself, she stated otherwise. Defending her position, she accused the NPP of trying to set the agenda for the NDC, adding that it was unfortunate that some members of the NDC were falling prey to the dictates of the NPP.
"What spirit drives the NDC? Is the NPP not driven by the dead Danquah-Busiah tradition? Why are they trying to deceive Ghanaians, and NDC members are falling prey to that mischief," she asked. According to her, the actions of those who gave such falsehood to the media have a motive of sowing seeds of discord within the NDC.
On his part, the former President, Mr. Rawlings who was obviously not happy with the reportage, swiftly denied the story, saying it was a calculated attempt to sow seeds of confusion within the party. He took the opportunity to urge party faithfuls to disregard the publication and treat it with the contempt that it deserves.
In a statement signed on his behalf by his Special Assistant, Mr. Victor Emmanuel-Smith, Mr. Rawlings said, "The founder would like to assure the party faithfuls that the publication is absolutely false and a great lie calculated by self-seekers and their agents to sow seeds of discord in the NDC. It must therefore be disregarded."
The statement further affirmed that "It has come to the notice of the founder of the NDC, the former President, J.J Rawlings, that certain selfish individuals in the NDC have made it their preoccupation to provide lies about the NDC to newspapers for publication and attributes such lies to him."
He continued, "One of such lies has been published in the Tuesday April 1st 2008 edition of the daily Graphic captioned, 'NDC ticket for December 7 election- It's John and John."
According to the former President, the story indicated that the flagbearer, over the weekend consulted with the National Executive Committee and Council of Elders and concluded with the founder, where according to the Graphic's publication the founder gave his blessing by describing the choice of John Mahama as a good one.
The statement from Mr. Smith said, "The founder would like to assure the party faithful that, the publication is absolutely false and a great lie calculated by these self-seekers and their agents to sow seeds of discord in the NDC. It must therefore be disregarded."
Earlier, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, appearing on Joy FM, an Accra based private radio insisted that John Mahama blew his chance when the opportunity came to him and failed to strike the iron when it was hot. She noted that when his name popped up, J.J impressed on John to utilize the offer but John was always putting up excuses.
According to her, Ex-President Rawlings lobbied Prof Mills to choose John Mahama in 2004, since his name was the most popular among the contenders, stressing that Prof Mills chose the one he could work with to the chagrin of the Council of Elders of the party and the then NDC Chairman, Dr. Obed Asamoah.
She maintained that previously they treated Prof Mills with 'kids' gloves' but this time around the party was going to make it a point to do the right thing by making Prof Mills' nomination to go through the mills of the party, before concluding on the final candidate because this election was a crucial one.
Nana Konadu-Agyeman Rawlings continued that last year her husband was fronting for the Bole-Bamboi legislator, but this year nothing of the sort has happened. To her, her husband had no option than to opt for Betty Mould, an experienced lawyer, because she is the choice of the rank and file of the party.
She stated that the founder of the party had warned that if John's name did not come up in July last year, he was going to be overtaken by a woman, and his position now is that the party must consider the gender factor.
Nana Konadu, the leader of 31st December Women Movement, indicated that the males in the party had had their fair share in the running mate position, and this time around the females must take their turn.
"We have given the nod to the men probably three times and I think this is the time to give it to a woman". She was quick to add that all the names that had cropped up including Mohammed Mummuni were capable to run with Prof Mills, but Betty had the capability to win more votes than all her competitors, arguing that the voting pattern in Ghana indicates that women win more votes than men.
Nana observed that they always have difficulties in Ashanti Region, but Betty could be able to break this jinx of voting for the Busia-Danquah parties more because Betty's mother is an Ashanti.
In reaction to the Rawlingses' assertions, Squadron Leader (Rtd) Clend Sowu, two-time NDC Member of Parliament (MP) for Anlo constituency described it as their own democratic views but not the party's.
According to him, the party's Presidential candidate shall nominate his own running mate in consultation with the National Executive Committee of the party and the Council of elders. He explained that in the expression of democratic views by the party members, they should be cautious in such a way that it would not affect the constitution of the party, adding that the interpretation given to the constitution by the Rawlingses was different.
He recounted the track record of the Rawlingses in imposing candidates on constituencies which even occurred in his constituency leading to his exit from parliament. Mr. Sowu urged the party members to be calm adding that victory would be theirs in the upcoming elections. Tamale
And from the northern region, reports have it that serious tension is currently looming within the party as supporters of the 2004 NDC running mate, Alhaji Mohammed Mumuni and John Dramani Mahama, MP for Bolo-Bamboi clashed over the running mate palaver.
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