Rawlings Kids Split Over Konadu Party

The nuclear family of ‘The Rawlingses’ is divided over the newly formed National Democratic Party (NDP), a new political party widely believed to be spearheaded by former first lady Nana Kanadu Agyeman Rawlings.

The four children are said to be divided over the NDP idea just as their parents are also not united over the party’s formation.

This is about the very first time the otherwise strongly-bonded former first family is disagreeing over an issue, and reports from credible persons say, while two of the Rawlingses children, Yaa Asantewaa and Amina are solidly behind Nana Konadu and her NDP ambition, the remaining two children, Ezenator and Kimathi have openly disagreed with the NDP idea.

An insider who spoke to this paper quoted Yaa Asantewaa and Amina to have said that if Prof. Atta Mills can become President, then their mother is very qualified to also occupy the highest seat of this country.

Reports from credible persons say Jerry Rawlings himself has categorically stated that he would never leave the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the ruling party of which he is founder, to join the NDP and had even made a telephone call to one of the influential elders of the NDC who is from the Volta Region to confirm that he is not quitting the NDC.

This influential member was very instrumental when Jerry Rawlings was President.

Though Jerry Rawlings had supported his wife, Nana Konadu, against President Mills at the NDC presidential primaries, it was somewhat explainable because that contest was an internal NDC-struggle between his wife and his former vice president.

Since reports started making rounds on the formation of the NDP, Rawlings has been accused of having one foot in the new party. Some even suggest he would become the party’s Campaign Director and that his wife would become presidential candidate.

But Rawlings still remains NDC founder and indeed the Chairman of the party’s Council of Elders.

The NDC has meanwhile issued a press statement expressing dissatisfaction about Mr Rawlings being linked to the NDP. The statement is however silent on Nana Konadu.

It reads: “over the past fewdays, the Secretariat of the NDC Headquarters has been approached by numerousmedia houses to comment on the reported formation of a new political partywhich is being associated with former President JJ Rawlings who is the Founderof the NDC.

“The NDC regards the reported association of our former President to the new party as mere speculation and will not make any statement on the matter until the former President himself comes out. All who speak in the name of the NDC in this matter must therefore do so with circumspection and to remain focused on what the Mills Administration has achieved in the face of daunting challenges.

“The NDC has put in place a programme of action to ensure a resounding victory at the elections in December 2012. Only last week a meeting was held in Kumasi which brought together Constituency Executives, Parliamentary Candidates and District, Municipal Chief Executives to deliberate on our strategy for victory to propel forward the Better Ghana Agenda of President Atta Mills which has recorded impressive achievements all around the country. The party leadership urge all party faithful to focus on the agenda of putting across to the electorate the achievement in the 3 ½ years of the Mills administration.

“The Party leadership further urges all genuine and loyal NDC members to continue to work as a family under the great Akatamanso.

“As a party, we remain resolute in our conviction that the Almighty who orders our steps and rules in the affairs of men and women will bring victory to us and that come January 2013, Ghana will continue its orderly and peaceful development under our able and dignified President Atta Mills.”