Mahama was misled – Kwabena Adjei

A former national chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Dr Kwabena Adjei feels one of the principal reasons leading to President John Mahama losing the 2016 elections was the fact that he surrounded himself with “inexperienced handlers.”

Dr. Adjei who did not mince words in his assessment on why the NDC lost the general polls, stated Mahama was deceived.

“His [Mahama] handlers misled him. They were inexperienced. I will say this anywhere without fear or favour. We are all to blame,” Dr. Adjei told Bola Ray on Starr Chat, Wednesday.

According to him, the younger handlers of Mahama prevented the older ones with “a wealth of experience” from getting closer to the President hence his miserable defeat.

Losing the 2016 elections, Mahama became the first sitting president to have lost an election under the Fourth Republic. Nana Akufo-Addo floored him by about 900,000 margin.

Dr. Adjei noted he was sidelined throughout the elections, but he went out on his own way to contribute during the electioneering.

“I’ve a wealth of experience. The young ones failed to tap into our experience… the NDC has run into a ditch and we have to do our best to resurrect that party. Right now who becomes an executive member is out of place,” Dr. Adjei advised party members.

Not surprised about NDC defeat

Dr. Adjei also stated that he was not surprised at the outcome of the 2016 presidential election.

According to him, the party was certain to lose the elections after delegates failed to re-elect him for another term as chairman of the party.

The NDC lost the 2016 elections miserably to the New Patriotic Party led by the Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

Akufo-Addo beat the incumbent John Mahama with over a million votes to win the presidency with the NPP also claiming majority of seats in Parliament.

Dr. Adjei told host Bola Ray that delegates of the NDC must be blamed for the defeat of NDC.

“I wasn’t surprised [the NDC lost]…because when they [delegates] voted me out in Kumasi they voted the party out. It was a done deal [that the NPP will win]. I am not superstitious but I came to the party with my own style…and I had a way of relating to the people.”

Dr. Adjei popularly known by his peers as ‘Wayo Wayo’ said members of the party cut him out of the party’s campaign machinery and was prevented on several occasions from meeting the president to advise him on how to handle things.

“Nobody involved me in the campaign, I involved myself…no I wasn’t invited…I tried to get access to the President and I didn’t get access, when I noticed things were going wrong, I tried and tried and tried but I didn’t get access so I mobilized myself…and did what I could do,” the 74-year-old said Wednesday.