Goosie Tandoh has never expressed interest in succeeding Mahama – Dr Kunbuor

Dr Benjamin Kunbuor has debunked the accession that the cadres forum at Tema is a way of backing Goosie Tandoh’s presidential ambition.

According to him, Goosie Tandoh is a strong member of the cadres and he has never expressed any interest in becoming the next flagbearer after John Dramani Mahama.

“In fact, the issue of who becomes flagebearer has never been raised. I have known Goosie for years; that issue has never been raised. Goosie has been very close to me, he has never ever even indicated that he is the successor to John Mahama, nothing like that. When I started hearing this, I said: 'Look, let’s be careful about profiling people,” Dr Kunbuor said on Citi TV as monitored by GhanaWeb on Tuesday.

“Even if you have the suspicion that people might be interested, you don’t make it an issue when you have not reached there,” he stressed.

Dr Kunbuor indicated that the difference between the current members of the party and the cadres is only ideological.

He further indicated that the cadres have been quiet for long for the party to run into the abyss but this time they are up to make sure they save the party from collapsing.

“I do not see all of us knowing Goosie for years will go for him to tell us that this is my agenda and we all follow him. I don’t follow things blindly, I analyse things in it proper context before I take a decision. I don’t believe in head action, that’s why I’m prepared to stand alone on things I’m convinced about and not because I am following a flock, no!” Dr Kunbuor stressed.

A recent meeting by the NDC Cadres has brought about a misunderstanding within the NDC.

But Dr Benjamin Kunbour explained that the meeting held by some members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in Tema did not conflict with the retreat the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) organised in Ho.

His defence comes after some leading members of the NDC at a forum dubbed, ‘Securing NDC’s Future’, described the party in its current state as a ‘lame and an injured horse”.

They urged its executive to adopt decisions that will resuscitate the party before it collapses.

The comments, to a section of NDC supporters and sympathisers, deepen the cracks in the party even further.

Dr Kunbour told Joy News that the intention of the forum was not to attack the works of the NEC but to have a conversation on matters that are gradually derailing the party.

He stressed that, unlike the NEC meeting which was to tackle short term strategic arrangement, the forum was to focus on the long-term sustainability of the party.

“For the NEC, there would be a conversation that is dealing with internal party matters but the conversation that was taking place in Tema was one of a very broad spectrum and with a panel who have quite some experience in terms of the history [of the party].

“So we thought that yes, by all means, let the NEC do what they are doing. And as we await NEC, there are many lines of conversation that can take place all geared towards positioning the party for the future. And one is not just talking about only the future of 2024; that’s a very limited agenda,” he said.