National Democratic Congress (NDC) flag-bearer hopeful, Mr Sylvester Mensah, has revealed that former President John Mahama’s declaration to participate in the party’s flagbearership contest has affected his campaign strategy.

Mr Mahama, in a Facebook post last Saturday, declared his intention to join the race since losing the 2016 elections.

“To you the teeming supporters and sympathisers calling and requesting me to declare my intentions for the future, I wish to assure you today that as a servant-leader, I have listened to your calls and reflected.

“I will not disappoint you even as we await the publication of the party’s guidelines for selecting a new leader,” he wrote.

The NDC is yet to declare guidelines for the flag-bearer elections.

Speaking on ‘Morning Starr’ yesterday, Sly, as he is popularly called, welcomed Mahama’s decision to join the competition for the vacant position of the party’s flagbearer.

That notwithstanding, he told ‘Morning Starr’ host Francis Abban that the declaration would have a toll on his campaign strategy, going into the elections.

“Indeed, it does. I mean any addition changes the strategy one way or another,” the former National Health Insurance Authority Chief Executive said.

Meanwhile, pollster Ben Ephson has advised Sly and others seeking to lead the party to the 2020 elections to combine forces in order to put up a competent challenge to Mahama at the party’s primaries.

Former Communications Minister, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, former University of Professional Studies Vice-Chancellor Professor Joshua Alabi, and 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Bagbin, are among individuals who have declared interest in leading the umbrella family come 2020.



“There are five of them, maybe they can decide that let’s form a ticket that one will contest and one will be running mate. The more candidates they have the more advantageous it is for Mahama. They can get talking to see if they can join forces to beat Mahama,” Ephson said on ‘Morning Starr’

Mr Mahama led the party to 2016 elections, which saw them losing power to the New Patriotic Party and candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.