Andy Kankam, the editor of the Informer Newspaper, who is also a member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has stated that ex-President John Mahama was virtually ‘naked’ in the run-up to the 2016 presidential elections.

Mr. Kankam stated that he was not surprised when the NDC lost embarrassingly to the New Patriotic Party (NPP) last year, disclosing that the NDC did not prepare adequately for the crucial 2016 elections.

According to him, he knew beforehand that the NDC would lose the last elections, but sadly the ex-president was surrounded by sycophants and praise-singers that continually lied to him.

Mr. Kankam, in an interview with ‘Asempa FM’ in Accra, stated categorically that ex-President Mahama would be blamed by the rank and file of the party.

Lordina Billboard

Mr. Kankam stated that giant campaign billboards of the former First Lady, Lordina Mahama that were mounted across the Brong Ahafo Region during the campaign period angered Ghanaians, including NDC functionaries.

According to him, there was no need for Lordina Mahama’s giant billboards to be mounted since the ex-First Lady was not contesting in the elections, stressing that such weird campaign tactics adversely affected the NDC.

“Did you see billboards of ex-First Ladies like Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Mrs. Naadu Mills and Mrs. Theresa Kufuor during electioneering periods when their husbands were in political office?” he quizzed.

Celebrities Campaign

Mr. Kankam, who was emotionally during the interview with the radio station, complained bitterly about how movie and music stars, who do not even know the boundaries of constituencies in the country, hijacked the campaign of the NDC.

He said that the party’s members, who have expertise in political campaign, were sidelined for the party’s resources to be distributed to celebrities who only led the NDC into opposition.

Mr. Kankam said the sycophants continually lied to Mr. Mahama that he would win the elections.

Several people who really knew what was going on at the grassroots level were victimized after we tried to offer effective political ideas that could have helped the NDC to retain political power, he said.

Stiff Competition

Mr. Kankam said all NDC members, including ex-President Mahama, that have interest in leading the NDC into the 2020 presidential elections would be fiercely challenged by other members.

According to him, the party needs total overhaul in order to win the next general elections.