Is Akufo-Addo now spokesperson for Rawlings? NDC MPs ask

The Minority National Democratic Congress (NDC) Members of Parliament (MPs) say they are amazed by the sudden turn of events as to why the President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, will speak for former President Jerry John Rawlings.

According to them, they are extremely lost as to why President Akufo-Addo, who was then the Attorney-General in the Kufuor administration, stripped Mr Rawlings of all his constitutionally mandated entitlements and later turn around to speak for him.

“Isn’t it ironic that today, President Akufo-Addo has found necessary to speak for Flt Lt. Jerry John Rawlings? It must never be lost on this nation of ours that it is President Akufo-Addo who as Attorney-General and Minister of Justice under President John Agyekum Kufuor unilaterally stripped former Jerry John Rawlings of all his constitutionally mandated entitlements, protocols and courtesies“, Majority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu who addressed the press conference, Friday, noted.

He added “Not too long ago, President Akufo-Addo and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) told this country that former President Rawlings is a mad man who finds pleasure in climbing trees, today, President Akufo-Addo turns round to hypocritically express pretentious love for former President Rawlings.

“Today, President Akufo-Addo wants Ghanaians to believe that he loves former President Rawlings more than those of us in the NDC, who stood by him and his family when under the NPP the former first family were tormented, prosecuted, emotionally tortured and politically persecuted. Truly, wonders will never end. Interesting times.”

President Akufo-Addo on Thursday, February 8, 2018 waded into the internal politics of the main opposition NDC saying ex-military leader and founder of the NDC party, Mr Rawlings was no longer recognised by members of the party.

He made the comment while he acknowledged the presence of the former leader and his wife Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings as members jeered at him during his second State of the Nation Address.

“Mr Speaker that is the way of the world, the founder of the party is today no longer recognised by the members of his party.” Mr Akufo-Addo said.

Mr Rawlings, who used to be a charming figure of the main opposition party, is struggling to keep afloat his relevance in his own party as the NDC has literally relegated the Rawlingses to the back burner vis-a-vis the internal politics of the party.