Prof Mills to abandon flagbearership

(Daily Guide) -- There are strong indications that former President Rawlings is gradually pushing out the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Prof John Evans Atta Mills.Sources have revealed that following the recent coordinated and scathing attacks on the flagbearer by the NDC founder including some leading members of the main opposition party, the law professor is considering throwing in the towel.

Rawlings who tongue-lashed Prof. Mills at the Tuesday marathon meeting for not doing enough to grab power, stated frustratingly, “Prof will sleep and rest till thy kingdom come.” However, snippets from the Kuku Hill campaign office of Prof. Mills indicate that the NDC flagbearer who was shocked by the outcome of the “family meeting” held at the Coco beach hotel, Nungua, has already issued threats of abandoning the flagbearership.

The Prof., Daily Guide learnt, held a series of meeting with his henchmen on Friday following publication of the proceedings of the closed-door meeting on the front pages of some newspapers on Thursday. The NDC presidential candidate is shaken and taken aback by the attacks heaped on him by the founder and some leading members including minority leader, Alban Bagbin and defeated presidential aspirant, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah.

Members of the Mills campaign team who were also not spared at the Coco beach meeting, however prevailed on the former vice president not to fear, but carry on. There was flurry of activities at Kuku Hill on Friday as news of the possible stepping down of the flagbearer reached some leading members. Alban Bagbin who took a critical look at what he considers Mills’ lackluster campaign during the closed door meeting, dashed to the campaign office to apologize, giving assurance that his comments were in good faith, Daily Guide learnt. The minority leader was of the opinion that Prof. Mills had literally restricted himself to his Kuku Hill Campaign office, wondering how the flagbearer expected to win the 2008 elections.

Hon. Bagbin noted that in even the few instances where he had managed to visit some regions, Prof. Mills did not inform the MPs in those areas. The NDC leadership came out strongly to deny the exchange of ‘friendly fire’ at the Coco Beach meeting, where the former President jumped on Prof. Mills, Mahama Ayariga, MP for Bawku Central and Mills’ Campaign manager who was shouted down at the meeting.

The Bawku Central MP conceded on an Accra-based radio station last Saturday that the founder was indeed critical of the way the Mills team is handling the campaign. Ayariga who was dodgy about what transpired at the closed-door meeting finally caved in under pressure by other panelists, virtually revealing everything that took place at the meeting. He confirmed the statement by Rawlings that he was more popular than Atta Mills.