Mahama can’t be guaranteed 2020 flagbearership – NDC

The Ashanti Region branch of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) says it cannot guarantee the party’s leadership slot for the former president, John Mahama, come 2020.

The regional branch says so many things can change from now to the time the party will go to primaries to elect a flagbearer. So, it will be premature for the party to conclude that it will go with the former president as its flagbearer, the branch said. NDC’s regional First Vice Chairman Alex Attivor Sawyer expressed the sentiments on Onua FM’s Ghana Dadwene on Tuesday, March 28.

The show was looking at the restructuring of the NDC in the Region after the humiliating defeat in the 2016 elections. Mr. Attivor Sawyer said the NDC has so many people to contest President Mahama in 2020 “so we shall look at their political pedigree” when the time comes.

The Vice Chairman explained that “it can help us in 2020 if we present him [former President Mahama] because he did well in some parts but uniting the party I can’t guarantee that”.

Asked whether Former President Mahama knew the challenges in the party when they were going into the 2016 elections, Mr. Sawyer opined that “he is the leader of the party and he must be aware of the problems in the party”.

Blame The NDC Chairman blamed the former President and all the executives for last year’s defeat. “The former President and all the executives must be blamed but some people must be blamed more depending on where you are. From the presidency to national to region to constituency to wards, we are all to be blamed because whenever there was an issue, there was no one to solve the issue.

They were all busy and how to talk to members were even bad,” the peeved Chairman said. He added that “because of the attitudes of our executives, some people decided not vote for the NDC. Some did not go to vote at all and that led to the defeat”. Regional campaign team Mr. Sawyer noted that the regional campaign team was formed without those who had experience, adding that “the campaign coordinator who was the deputy minister was not seen.

He did not know how the party works and how the campaign team was formed was bad”. “They were calling their favorites into the team while those who know the party issues and can do the job were not involved. “I don’t know why some people think the regional executives should not form the campaign team because I, as the vice chairman, was not part.

Mr Sawyer says he felt they thought there will be some huge money at their disposal. Alleged money squandering Mr. Sawyer alleged that the national office gave all the ten regional branches some funds to run the campaign but those on the grounds did not receive any money.

“It went to the whole country but we did not receive anything until the day before the elections that the Regional Chairman took some money to Mampong and called some DCEs and gave them some funds. “He gave 17 out of the 47 constituencies and the rest is nowhere to be found,” the Vice Chairman alleged.