Mike Adjei, one of the leading political analysts of today, is urging delegates of Saturday’s NDC congress to vote for Prof John Atta Mills because, although he may be a political poodle, he is still a better man than his rival, Dr Kwesi Botchwey, adding, “this country has had its share of con men at the helm of affairs in the past.”

“Kwesi Botchwey does not seem to have any principles”, says the veteran journalist who was jailed and persecuted into exile by the PNDC regime. Mills, on the other hand “seems to be a more straight-forward unencumbered personality who seems to be more reliable.”

He questions how the former Finance Minister could claim to be a Solicalist after leading Ghana to the most capitalist revolution during his tenure, Mike Adjei, a regular columnist in The Statesman, made his view known in Tuesday’s edition of the paper.

Mike Adjei doesn’t think that Kwesi Botchwey should be taken seriously. A contemporary of both candidates at the University of Ghana, he recalls Kwesi Botchwey writing a paper in November 1981, in which he advised developing countries to stay clear of the Breton Woods institutions. “Within six months he was the (Secretary of Finance and Economic Planning) of Ghana, responsible for negotiating the devaluation of the cedi by about 6,000 per cent.”

Mike Adjei argues, “Atta Mills is a better man because he seems to believe in democracy and his is the kind of personality that is similar to the personality of President Kufuor.” Adding more meat to Mills’ bones, Adjei says he sees the NDC’s defeated candidate in 2000 and President Kufuor as “The intelligent, kind, quiet what-you-see-what-you-get type that could build Ghana, other things being equal, into a prosperous nation.”

Mike Adjei sees the timing of The Statesman’s story describing Prof Mills as a poodle as “unfortunate.” In his view, “the story, coming out so close to the NDC primary, could help Atta Mills’ opponent somehow.” He however, stressed that the paper’s use of the word did not mean that Atta Mills is a poodle. “If I were an NDC voting for one of the two candidates, come 21 December, I will vote for Atta Mills,” said Mike Adjei.