I have no presidential ambition - Hannah Tetteh

Former Minister for Foreign Affairs, Hannah Tetteh has revealed that she has no presidential ambitions. Madam Hannah Tetteh is one of the many bigwigs in the National Democratic Congress (NDC) rumoured as possible flagbearers of the party going into the 2020 elections.

The NDC is currently going through a rough patch. Aggrieved members of the party are up in arms against national executives, blaming them for the heavy loss the party suffered in the 2016 elections and have called for an early congress to remove them.

A fact-finding committee is currently going round the country to ascertain what led to the NDC’s electoral loss.

Another thorny issue that could generate a lot of tension is who leads the NDC for the 2020 elections. For many supporters and even national executives, former President John Dramani Mahama is still the best choice to contest whoever its major opponent, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will present for 2020.

For them, the former President’s achievements (especially the massive infrastructural development) among others, makes him the preferred candidate to lead the NDC again. However, there is stiff opposition to this suggestion as many contend John Mahama was a major reason why the party lost the elections.

Other names including former Majority Leader, Alban Bagbin, Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu, former Trade Minister, Dr Ekwow Spio- Garbrah, former Finance Minister, Dr Kwesi Botchway and Hannah Tetteh have all been mentioned as possible contenders.

However, in an extensive conversation on XYZ FM’s Morning Xpress, the former Awutu Senya West Member of Parliament, emphatically stated that she has no intention of running for President of this country.

“I’ve never had presidential ambitions. I have had the opportunity to work with two presidents at very close quarters. It is not an easy job. It is really challenging in terms of the physical energy that each one has to put into being a president, it is challenging in terms of the pressures that individuals put on the President himself to take one decision or the other and it is also challenging because he has to be able with all information available to him to take the decisions that ultimately should be in the best interest of Ghana,” she said.

She continued that broader consultations should be undertaken in the decision of who becomes a flagbearer in any political party.

“Given that a political organization like the NDC would be looking to contest an election on a particular platform, would want to put in place certain policies, projects and programmes for the betterment of the people of Ghana, I think that it is for within the party, consultation to take place and say this is the person that we think can take us there and based on those consultations, that person then becomes encouraged to put themselves up because the party has confidence in their leadership,” she said.

On her choice for who leads the NDC, Hannah Tetteh threw her support behind former President Mahama should he decide to contest.