‘Broken’ NDC must be fixed to win elections - Spio Garbrah

The former Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, has admitted that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is currently not in the best shapes to win any competitive election in the country.

He has therefore said whether or not he will seek the mandate of the party is not important at the moment but urged all to focus on rebuilding the disintegrated party to make it a formidable force to reckon with ahead of future elections.

Speaking on the sidelines of the commemoration of 38th anniversary of the June 4 celebrations in Wa , he said all party faithful must be concerned about strengthening the foundation of the NDC before the issue of who leads it comes to mind.

“When a vehicle is grounded, you do not ask for the driver. First of all you must be interested in getting spare parts to fix it and take it from the blocks before you will now be thinking of who to drive it”, he disclosed on Waa Fm.

“The situation in our party is really one of building the party and letting it recover from a very severe electoral loss. It is just like driving a very good car and the car has an accident and it needs to be fixed so the first thing you want to do is take it to the mechanics and let the electricians do their work, check the transmission, take care of the brakes, the shock absorbers, then when the car is in a good condition almost any driver can drive it and potentially bring it to the victory line.”

Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah is among a tall list of NDC functionaries seeking to succeed former President John Dramani Mahama as flagbearer of the party in 2020.

Several names including Former Ministers of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah; Roads and Highways; Inusah Fuseini; Education, Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang; Foreign Affairs, Hannah Serwah Tetteh; Trade and Industry; Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, former Minister of State and Mahama Ayariga, Minister of Environment, Science, Technology and Innovations, are all reported interested in leading the NDC into the 2020 election.

Others reported to be interested in leading the party after Mr Mahama’s reign include former Ministers of Youth and Sports, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuije; Gender, Children and Social Protection, Nana Oye Lithur; former Brong Ahafo Minister, Eric Opoku; former Central Regional Minister; Kwaku Rickett Hagan; former Minister of State at the presidency, Rashid Pelpuo; and former majority leader and now 2nd deputy Speaker of Parliament; Alban Kingsford Sumane Bagbin.

The likes of immediate past Senior Policy Adviser and Head of Presidential Delivery Unit, Dr Valerie Sawyer; former MP for La Dadekotopon, Nii Amasah Namoale; former Chief Executives of NHIA, Sylvester Mensah; COCOBOD’s Dr Stephen Opuni; Eco Medical Village’s, Dzifa Aku Ativor; former KMA boss, Kojo Bonsu; 1st vice Chairman of NDC, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo; former Minister of Health, Alex Segbefia; MP for Klottey Korle; Dr Zanetor Rawlings; Anlo MP; Clement Kofi Humado and former vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur were also reported to be interested in the post.