General News of Wednesday, 3 May 2017

Source: peacefmonline.com

I would advise Haruna not to contest NDC flagbearership - Baako

Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide Abdul Malik Kweku Baako, Editor-in-Chief of the New Crusading Guide

Managing Editor of the New Crusading Guide, Kweku Baako Jnr. has advised the Minority Leader, Haruna Iddrisu not to contest the flagbearer position of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Following the NDC defeat in the 2016 elections, there have been questions over who leads the party to the next elections in 2020.

Some NDC kingpins have been marked to be best candidates for the flagbearer position in the party.

Names like Hon. Alban Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu, Minority Leader in Parliament and Member of Parliament for Tamale South and Mr. Ekow Spio Garbrah, former Trade and Industry Minister among others have been mentioned in hope that one of these prominent personalities will finally lead the party.

But to Kweku Baako, it is not yet his time to run for Presidential candidate for the party.

Speaking on Peace FM's 'Kokrokoo', he hoped Hon. Iddrisu would pay heed to his counsel because he believes the latter is not ready to run the race.

"Haruna Iddrisu is very young, very nice guy. I’m not sure whether he’s ready to put himself in it. If I were to advise him anyway, I’d tell him to bid his time awhile. Well, his name has popped up but if I were him, I’d wait awhile,” he told Kwami Sefa Kayi.

Touching on Hon. Alban Bagbin, Mr. Baako noted that Mr. Bagbin is a "formidable factor in the party. It will be interesting if he throws himself into the race" but however stressed that the only competitive person among all the NDC potential aspirants is the former President John Dramani Mahama.

He stressed that looking at the credentials of the former President in the party; he best qualifies to lead them to another battle in 2020.

"He led them into an election 2012. They won the election, forget about the court case. At the end of the day, if there were doubts about his victory, when they sent it to court; the court validated the declaration of the EC. So, as far as I’m concerned, he won it..." he said, adding that the NDC will be riding on the track record of Ex-President Mahama to contest the 2020 elections.