Less than a month into the official naming of a running mate by John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress, discreet information available to the Daily Statesman indicates that, owing to “a myriad of conflicting interests dogging the deal”, the announcement may move a notch beyond the April 2020 set by the NDC.
Insider NDC cadre sources in three indigenous Accra constituencies say Mr Mahama and the party are confronted with “several delicate issues that account for the likely postponement of the date.”
Many rivers to cross
The first, our sources indicate, is which running mate to pick to attract angry party founder Jerry Rawlings on board, such that he might soften his “No, No” stance against candidate Mahama and join the party to fight the 2020 campaign.
Similar to that hurdle is the resounding call from the Volta Region for the running mate slot to be ceded to Professor Joshua Alabi, as a motivation to rally back into the party straying cadres in familiar NDC strongholds.
Additionally, Mahama and the party are said to be caught between listening to Rawlings and jettisoning any interests the Ahwois may have in the running mate deal; or sacrifice the Ahwoi brothers and pay the price of losing financing and substantial votes in the Central and Western regions, as a result of a probable political snooze in December by the Ahwois.
Then, Mahama has the Asiedu Nketia or proxy in Minister for Local Government and Rural Development, Mr. Boateng Adjei.
terests to fight off, apart from insisting on flagbearer lawful right and privilege to choose his running mate in the same manner he was chosen by late Professor Evans Atta Mills.
Also a headache in his backyard is the politically melting northern regions, where NDC influence is being steadily stunted by the fiery Bawumia factor.
“Probably stickiest of all the issues is how that running mate can flow with the likely discordant notes that may be coming from a band of uncoordinated communicators more accustomed to caustic, bawdy notes, rather than those from the still incubating NDC hymn book and party manifesto,” one of our sources pointed out.
Trapped
Our sources say Mahama’s desperation is based on the fact that the Rawlings’ divorce is incurable – at least, into the next four years when the founder, Mahama’s corner still fears, “might float another party to gobble up the remnants of the wobbly Mahama republic”.
And, he has worries, too, about the Alabi ticket. While he may not be able to sail in one boat with Alabi because he may find the Professor “difficult to dribble,” he cannot ignore the cadre contribution of the Volta Region and indigenous Accra to the NDC’s fortunes over the decades – and, again, the Rawlings factor in that.
As for the Ahwois, it is common knowledge in the NDC and Ghana that they are almost indispensable in managing the NDC – even from the days of founder Rawlings. It was Ato Ahwoi who scouted for Prof Mills to restructure the Internal Revenue Service and, subsequently, pick the 2000 flagbearer slot; it was he, too, who arranged the Mills-Mahama 2006 KAMA Conference Centre running mate deal that had Rawlings locked out.
Added to that, Ato has pledged financial support, among others, for Mahama.
Trapped, the NDC flagbearer can only postpone the date, before he is compelled to resort to desperate measures, according to our reliable sources.
Source: Daily Statesman
