Konadu’s NDP Secret Out

*.....Her new party targeting defeted NDC MP’s and others*

Reports reaching The Herald from the Ridge office and the Adjiriganor residence reveals that the yet to be registered National Democratic Party (NDP) is planning to entice into its fold defeated parliamentary candidates of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to contest the December parliamentary seats on its ticket.

The sole founder, owner and financier of the NDP, ex-First Lady Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, also known as mama Logo, according to The Herald’s information has already appropriated the presidential slot of the party, and is currently planning to wear her symbolic “Slit and Kaba” atop a big head gear, to talk with disgruntled NDC parliamentary hopefuls and sitting Members of Parliament (MP) who were defeated by, especially, government appointees.

This they hope will further worsen and cripple the NDC which was founded on the ideals and principles of her husband, Flt. Lieutenant Jerry John Rawlings who led the NDC and ruled this country for uninterrupted 19 years.

Among the names emerging are that of suspended Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, Kofi Adams for the Ajumako-Enyam-Esiam Constituency, in the Central Region, ex-NDC MP Berrick Namburr for Bunkpurugu-Yunyon Constituency.

Outgoing Albert Zigah, MP for Ketu South, and Kwami Alorvi of NAGRAT fame and North Tongu Constituency of the Volta Region, Mr. Rawlings’ home region where he is badly losing popularity are among some of the names being targeted to scuttle the fortunes of the NDC.

Mrs. Rawlings is said to be habouring an interesting conviction that she was cheated in Sunyani, and that the NDC delegates were bought by the Mills’ men with money and a promise of juicy appointments and contracts. Also, she would have won the slot had the electoral college of the NDC been expanded like that of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), to allow all card-bearing members to vote.

In an interview with the man penciled for the North Tongu NDP ticket, former President of National Association of Graduate Teachers (NAGRAT) Mr. Alorvi, who contested Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudzoto Ablakwa, for the North Tongu seat, but lost, he is yet to be approached by the NDP.

Mr. Alorvi, told The Herald he did not know the people behind the new party, and what they stood for.

He said even though he was yet to be approached, he was not in any way ready to join that movement since he has principles as a professional teacher, which he want to impact into his children, adding “I can’t undermine my principles”.

Mr. Alorvi quizzed why he would want to go independent or want to leave NDC and join another party just because he had lost an election when there were more times ahead to contest and win.

He told The Herald, that he was neither a bad loser nor a political prostitute or a stomach politician to jump from one party to the other all in the name of satisfying his desire to win power.

But already, one of the defeated candidates, Mr. Michael Teye Nyaunu (MTN) who played a pivotal role in Mrs. Rawlings’ botched ambition to replace President John Mills, at the NDC’s Sunyani congress in Brong Ahafo, last year, has indicated that he would want to contest on the ticket of NDP the Lower Manya seat, where he was defeated by the District Chief Executive (DCE) for the area.

Apparently, afraid he might be booted out from Parliament by the NDC, for crossing carpet, Mr. Nyaunu has indicated that he wanted to discuss his chances with his constituents in the Eastern Region before taking any decision on whether to join the NDP or go independent.

On a lighter side, Mr. Alorvi joked that if the party was contemplating on poaching him, then they must come with four Land Cruisers, four houses, one in the Ashanti Region, one in the Volta and the other two elsewhere in addition to a whopping four hundred thousand amidst laughter.

Meanwhile, Dr Josiah Ayeh, the interim NDP Chairman, was once the General Secretary of the NDC, who was suspended for flirting with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) for a pittance of $3,000.00.

Dr. Ayeh was suspended from the NDC, barely a week to the 2004 polls, where he denied having disclosed to the NPP how the NDC was not forthcoming with its financial responsibilities to his office.

However, a secret recording of his meetings with Mr. Steven Ntim, Second Deputy National Chairman of the NPP, exposed him receiving the US$3000.00 for his so-called lamentations of neglect.