Election 2012 is about Mahama not Rawlings - Team JM

The Campaign Coordinator for President John Dramani Mahama, Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, says the campaign team of the president is not moved by the endorsement of the newly-formed National Democratic Party (NDP) by former President Rawlings.

According to Mr Afriyie Ankrah, the team is overwhelmed by the support it received on its campaign tour to the northern part of the Volta Region and the Northern regions.

The campaign team of the President returned to Accra on Monday after a five day campaign tour to the two regions.

Addressing the media upon his arrival, Mr Afriyie Ankrah said though the campaign team will welcome any support from Former President Rawlings, it is capable of winning the elections without him. Asked whether the NDC will court the former president to campaign for President Mahama, Mr. Afriyie Ankrah said “If you are a football coach and you have players and one of your very good players before an important match says that he believes the other team will win, I want to ask you whether you will field that player or not?”

“Former President Rawlings has since 1979 expressed his views. His views have not changed; he’s been consistent. We may agree or disagree with him. But I think that the focus is on His Excellency John Dramani Mahama,” Mr. Afriyie-Ankrah said.

He said: “Let’s focus on our presidential candidate, let’s focus on our message; it’s a good message, the candidate is a good product, he is selling and by the grace of God we are going to get a one-touch victory.”

He indicated that the President is pulling the crowd wherever he goes partly because of the tremendous work done by the Mills-led administration of which he was a part and also due to his personal leadership abilities.

Mr. Afriyie-Ankrah said “in many instances, people were waiting for us as late as 2-3AM and the enthusiasm, the zeal that they showed, for me I think that there is a new movement in this country and that is Mahamamania.”

He called on the supporters of the party to focus and be resolute in campaigning vigorously for the NDC to win the elections by a landslide.