President John Mahama has been chosen by the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the NDC as the flag-bearer of the party in this year’s General elections slated to take place on December 7, 2012.

The resolution was passed yesterday at the NEC’s meeting held at the Institute of Local Government Studies (ILGS) at Madina in Accra. The meeting also decided that a Special Delegates Congress to endorse the decision of the NEC will be held not later than Saturday, September 1, 2012 in accordance with due process of the party’s constitution.

The resolution passed became necessary as a result of the demise of His Excellency President Atta Mills who was also the flag-bearer of the NDC for the General Elections. He passed away suddenly on Tuesday, July 24, 2011 at the 37 Military Hospital. Moving the motion yesterday on behalf of the NDC Parliamentary Group, Minister for Communication and MP for Tamale South, Hon. Haruna Iddrisu said;

“Following the creation of a vacancy in the position of Flag-bearer of the NDC occasioned by the sudden demise of H.E Prof. J.E.A Mills on Tuesday, 24 July, 2012, who was elected Flag-bearer and leader of the party at the Sunyani Congress in July 2011.

Taking a critical look at the extraordinary circumstances in which the party finds itself at the moment; Having regard to the limitations of the time for the election of a flag-bearer for the 2012 General elections;

And having recognized that there is a lacuna in the NDC Constitution; Mindful of the fact that the Constitutional period for the election of the flag-bearer under Article 44(a) of the Party’s constitution has long lapsed;

I moved that, this meeting of the NEC of the NDC, in exercise of the Residual powers conferred on it under Article 50 of the NDC Constitution, call for a Special Delegate Congress to endorse the leader of the NDC, H.E John Dramani Mahama, as the Flag-bearer of the NDC to contest the 2012 presidential election in accord with due processes required under the Party’s Constitution.

President John Mahama will be the sole candidate at the Special Delegates’ Congress which is expected to endorse the decision of the NEC of the party. He will then be coming against the NPP’s Akufo-Addo, the PNC’s Hassan Ayariga, the CPP’s Abu Sakara and the PPP’s Paa Kwesi Nduom.

A former MP for the Bole Constituency, John Mahama’s rise to the seat of the President of Ghana has been meteoric, starting from the position of Deputy Minister for Information to becoming the substantive Minister and then moving on to become Vice-President of Ghana. Finally, he has arrived at the apogee of politics in Ghana and will be hoping to consolidate this position for the next eight years.