Ade Coker, Greater Accra Regional Chairman of NDC
The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, who was very vociferous before his elections, has suddenly gone into self imposed hibernation, at a time his party and region, needs him most.
Before the 2016 general elections, I wrote an article, asking about the where about of Chairman Ade Coker, he surfaced briefly after that, to pretend to campaign for the NDC and then when the unfortunate in my estimation and the fortunate in the estimation of Ade happened, he has finally taken another bow, out of the media.
Former president and founder of the NDC, Jerry John Rawlings, foretold what was going to befall the party in the Greater Accra Region, if it goes ahead to re-elect Ade Coker, as the chairman, but his admonition fell on deaf ears.
The founder was not a soothsayer, nor prophet but all his predictions came to pass. I remember after the 2012 elections, he told the NDC that, the party needed president John Dramani Mahama, to win the elections and that in 2016, president Mahama needed the party, if he was going to win that election.
Today, as they say, the rest is history.
Truly, as Shakespeare tells us, there is no art to read a mind’s construct on the face. But coming events they say, cast their shadow. I saw long before now that, Chairman Ade, has reached his wits end.
After his second election, it was obvious to everyone, except the delegates, who it was alleged that, they were influenced with money and goodies that, Chairman Ade, has overstayed his welcome.
The NDC, now needs every member of the party to be active and combative on all fronts. The shadow boxing and hunting, will not serve the party in its hour of need.
Some people stand for elections, not because they have something good to offer the people, they seek to lead, but because of the spoils of power. Ade Coker became Chairman of the Greater Accra, when the NDC was in power, that position he fought tooth and nail to maintain, when the party was still in office, now that the party is in opposition, he is giving up and relinquishing the position, even before the party opens nominations for eligible members of the party to contest.
Ade Coker, has come to the end of his political road, but the way chooses to bow out, is what is of great concern to all of us. The NDC, in opposition needs more voices, than it used to require in government. Silence is not an option at this critical moment in the life of the party.
I can imagine that, Chairman Ade Coker, will not be contesting for re-election, it will be foolhardy on his part, considering how the party performed abysmally in his region. Greater Accra region, had a fair share of development, under President John Dramani Mahama, it was not one of the regions that, political pundits expected the NDC to lose, but the party, did not only lose in the presidential election, but lost some parliamentary seats, including my Constituency (Madina).
Ade Coker, has no moral and political justification to even contemplate contesting to lead the region again, whatever motivated or informed his decision to contest for the position, he has achieved that. Information we pick in the grapevine is that, he has made a lot of money in the eight years that, the NDC was in office.
If the rumors are true, then it means, Chairman Ade, has not been fair to the party. The party helped him achieve his dream and yet he failed in giving back to the party. It is said that, to whom much is given, much is expected. You cannot partake in the meal reserve for the multitude; you must help in preserving what is left for the rest.
Chairman Ade, cannot and should not run from his responsibility to the party, until new executives are elected, his tenure has not run out. The party needs him to be out there defending and propagating the good works of ex-president Mahama.
Let me be clear: any leader or leaders who fail to take a stand on behalf of their people are not only sell-outs, but blindly ignorant at best and flatly dangerous at worst.
To me, some of the present Executives of the National Democratic Congress are not leaders built for leading, not built to protect the rights of our people, but only to protect their political spoils. By the time they wake up from their stupor, however, there may not even be a party left to save.
But one thing I am sure of: history doesn’t forget the noisy voices once the dust settles, the winners and losers. When our history is written, we’ll celebrate those who exhibited bravery, and we’ll decide the aggressively malignant. We’ll cheer the heroic. History tells us that leaders who let their people down at times like these are the ones who run and hide in the woods until the dust settles. Political self-preservation in dire circumstances is just about the same as cowardice.
