Suspended Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Spokesperson for the Rawlingses, Kofi Adams, says it is cynical of Managing Editor of the “Insight” newspaper, Kwesi Pratt Jnr., to have remarked that former First Lady, Mrs Konadu Rawlings, should be allowed to contest this year’s presidential elections for her to know her “smoothness level”.
Kofi Adams’ verbal attack on Mr. Pratt comes after the latter had pleaded with the Electoral Commission (EC), to grant Nana Konadu a grace period of “one month” for her party, the National Democratic Party (NDP), to completely fill out her nomination forms and submit them to the electoral body.
The seasoned journalist, is on record to have stated on last Friday’s edition of Peace FM’s flagship programme, “Kokrokoo”, that his greatest wish was for the former First Lady to have the unique opportunity of contesting the December general elections, and see her “smoothness level” after the declaration of the results.
But, Mr. Adams, who seems not to have taken kindly to Mr. Pratt’s comments, accused him of being sarcastic and wondered if contesting an election and winning or losing forms the basis for which one can be said to be relevant to the country’s politics.
If that was a factor, he said, then the newspaper editor had no business passing those comments about Mrs Rawlings’s presidential ambition because he (Pratt) was humiliated in his quest to be a Member of Parliament after he “lost heavily” in the 1996 Parliamentary elections.
'Lost Heavily'
“For those who have kind of complained that they were unhappy with the NDP’s inability to file their nomination…possibly are not people who really wish the NDC that well. If they do, I don’t think that they will be celebrating. For those who are shouting ‘and that would have shown smoothness level’; if contesting elections and winning or losing, or your performance will determine whether you contribute politically in this country, then persons like Kwesi Pratt and co, would not have been talking. Because he had contested elections in 1996 and he lost heavily. It was a humiliating defeat. But he is still making his contributions in terms of talking on radio…I’m bringing him (Pratt) in because he is the one who introduced that…that the Electoral Commission should even give NDP one month grace to file their nomination; being sarcastic as usual of him (Pratt),” he posited.
Speaking on Joy FM’s “News File” talk-show, Mr. Adams claimed that most social commentators do not have the best interest of the NDC at heart. He thus appealed to the leadership of the NDC to extend an olive branch to members in the NDP and ensure that all conflicting issues are resolved amicably.
“All that I want to say, for those of us who wish for the re-election of the NDC and President John Mahama, we strongly think that party leadership would have to find a way of working out and extending a hand to our brothers and sisters in the NDP. It’s very key, it’s very important…,” Kofi Adams added.
