Mr Kweku Baako Jnr., editor-in-chief of the Crusading Guide, who has had ?running battles? with the Rawlingses, last Monday came face-to-face with Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, the former First Lady, forcing the latter to ?dissolve? under unexplained circumstances.
The two met at a reception to mark the victory of LProfessor John Evans Atta Mills, following the party?s recent primaries to elect a flagbearer for the 2004 general elections. Kweku arrived late at the Mills victory party and started shaking hands with NDC top shots at the function and it became obvious that he would shake hands with the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings as well, since she was among the guests. But on seeing that Kweku was coming closer to her, Nana Konadu who obviously could not bear the sight of her bitterest critic coming so close to her, unceremoniously left the immediate precincts as soon as Kweku got close to where she was seated. Observers believe the former First Lady did that so as to avoid meeting with Baako, who is also known in media circles as Kweku Babone, alias ?Danger Diabolic?. While people like Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, a former Minister of Education and chairman of the Mills? Publicity Committee, Mr Kofi Totobi Quakyi, a former Head of National Security, Hon. Alban Bagbin, the Member of Parliament for Nadowli North and the Minority Leader in Parliament, Mr Joshua Alabi, a former Greater Accra Regional Minister, Mr. D.S. Boateng and other NDC gurus warmly welcomed Mr Baako to the Mills? reception, Nana Konadu would not countenance that.
She therefore moved away from where Baako was so as to avoid him. Also disenchanted by the stand of Baako against the Rawlingses and the NDC were the top 31st December Women?s Movement members like Mrs. Edith Haizel, Ms. Sherry Ayitteh and Comfort Owusu who all avoided exchanging pleasantries with Baako. Later in an interview as to what he thought might have occasioned the former First Lady?s behaviour, Mr Kweku Baako said he ?strongly suspected that Mrs. Rawlings was very uncomfortable with his presence hence her decision to move away from him (Baako) to avoid meeting him.?
According to Baako, he would have gone to shake hands with Nana Konadu if he had come into contact with he at the party. Kweku Baako, publicly rooted for Dr Kwesi Botchwey to hear Prof Mills in the flagbearership race in the NDC party. His appearance at the Mills reception, which was attended by almost all the NDC party gurus except the Founder, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, was received with mixed feelings because of his position as an ?against? to Prof Mills. Kweku is a strident critic of the NDC who is seen by party supporters as a ?thorn in their flesh?. Prof Mills who was heavily drowned in ecstasy following his landslide victory against Dr Botchwey at the NDC primaries approached Baako and told him that whether he likes it or not he would make him his running mate.
This declaration elicited some laughter by those around. ?Ekwow, tell Kweku Baako that I will make him my running mate? Prof Said, referring to Mr Spio-Garbrah. E.T. Mensah the MP for Ningo/Prampam also made a similar remark that Kweku Baako would be made the running mate of Prof Atta Mills which many people saw as a way to calm Kweku down on his hard stand against the party. The Crusading Guide Editor expressed surprise at the reception accorded him by top activists at the party and laughed off Prof Mills? suggestion to make him his running mate come 2004. He said he nearly did not attend the party because of the experiences of some journalists who were manhandled at the congress in Legon.
?I felt I may also be manhandled like the way two journalists were manhandled but my good friend, Kwesi Pratt insisted that I come? he told Daily Guide saying that he was extremely surprised by the warm reception he had from the party gurus. He said NDC as a party is brutally hostile to the media hence the media?s attitude to it.
