NDC 2020 Presidential race: Too early to declare my intention – Mahama

Former President John Mahama has said declaring whether or not he will run for president again on the ticket of the main opposition National Democratic Congress is premature since the party has a lot of work to do before it chooses a flag bearer.

“Many people have come up to me and asked me to make a declaration whether I want to stand again or not stand,” he told party members in the Central Region after a Unity Walk on Sunday, 5 November.

“The point I have made is that my declaration of my intention to run or not to run will distract the attention of the party from the work that they have to do and that’s why I say it’s a bit too premature to declare presidential intention,” he explained.

He, however, said “there is nothing wrong” with declaring as some of his colleagues in the NDC have already done.

“I know there are several of my colleagues who have declared an intention to run. They are all party members and they are eligible to stand.

“Let me caution: after the flag bearer contest, whoever wins, all of us will have to rally round to support that person. And, so, please let us not go personal, let us not insult each other because all of us belong to the same NDC family, and, so, if anybody has declared to stand it is his right to do so. Don’t insult him because at the end of the process, all of us need to come together to support whoever wins as the flagbearer.”

Among those who have declared their intention so far are Second Deputy Speaker Alban Bagbin, former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) Prof Joshua Alabi; former Trade Minister Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, former CEO of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA) Sylvester Mensah, former La Dadekotopon MP Nii Amasah Namoale and Mr Stephen Atuubiga.

Mr Mahama told the crowd: “I have no problem with any of my colleagues. Spio was my minister, I worked as his deputy minister and then he became my colleague …and then when I was in government he worked as my minister of state, I can’t have any problem with Spio. I can’t have any problem with Joshua. Joshua was my colleague, we went to parliament the same year and we were in parliament together. When he became Vice-Chancellor of UPSA, he invited me for so many programmes in UPSA, so today I can’t have a problem with Joshua. Sylvester was in parliament with me; we were colleagues in parliament, he worked at our NHIS CEO. After that he came as a presidential staffer at the Flagstaff House. I hope nobody takes offence that I didn’t mention some other people. Atubiga is my favourite presidential candidate, Stephen. Namoale, say Namoale. So we are one and the same people.”