Rawlings is NDC's greatest asset – Essumin

A constituency executive of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Dome-Kwabenya constituency, Gabby Essumin has said former President Jerry John Rawlings cannot be expelled from the party.

According to him, Mr Rawlings wields enormous influence within the party, therefore his absence will further dwindle the fortunes of the party in future elections.

His comment comes on the heels of calls by some members of the party, asking the leadership to sanction Mr Rawlings and Martin Amidu, former Attorney General for their utterances against the party.

Speaking in an interview with Chief Jerry Forson, host of Ghana Yensom on Accra 100.5FM on Wednesday August 9, 2017, Mr Essumin said: “One thing we must know as a party is that we can’t gag Mr Rawlings from speaking his mind, he will continue to speak his mind.

“If he resigns today or is expelled from the party, I can tell you that even some MPs on the side of the NDC will resign and follow him. Mr Rawlings is extremely influential but we in the NDC don’t know how to use him.

“He is an asset, the greatest asset to the party; anybody who says he is not is deceiving himself. Mr Rawlings has the spirit and the charisma to pull the crowd; he was one of the disciplined presidents we have ever had in Ghana.

“Some people are saying that he is not the Founder of the party, I laugh when I hear this because our party’s constitution recognises him as the Founder and so those saying he is not the Founder must as well throw away the party’s constitution.”