An activist of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Dela Coffie has said the John Mahama ‘Unity Walk’ that was organized on Saturday September 9, in the Northern Regional Capital, Tamale has proven counterproductive as it has left the party divided.

Scores of NDC loyalists and sympathizers joined the ex President and his team for the event which is said to be part of the NDC agenda 2020 campaign strategy.

Some of the party bigwigs who participated in the event included the NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketiah; Minority leader, Haruna Iddrisu; Former Chief of Staff, Julius Debrah; MP for Tamale Central, Inusah Fuseini; MP for Tamale North, Alhassan Suhuyini, and a former Northern Regional Minister, Moses Bukari Mabengba among others.

But Dela Coffie, in a statement, sees the conduct party officials such as General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia as tacitly giving support to ex President Mahama and in so doing trying to impose him on the NDC as its leader for the 2020 election.

“A supposed NDC unity walk has end up dividing the rank and file more than it seeks to unite.
A unity walk without Mahama’s own vice president? A unity walk without the founder? A unity walk without the national chairman and leader of the Party? A unity walk without the other NDC Presidential hopefuls? Does this so-called unity walk bring unity or division?

“Then again, who is going to organize and lead the Kumasi walk? Dr Kwabena Duffuor? What walks will Sylvester Mensah, Spio Garbrah, Horace Ankrah, Alban Gbagbin, Oppong Ofosu and Joshua Alabi lead?

“Why the hell is the party leadership giving John Mahama free pass to ignore party structures? And why has the Council of elders said nothing about the so-called unity walk? Was it their idea? I thought the Kwesi Botchway corpse dressing committee report made certain findings? Which part of the recommendations says that John Mahama should lead a unity walk?”




Below is the full statement

Dela Coffie Writes:

Why is John Mahama imposing himself as 2020 Presidential candidate on the NDC?

Some twenty-four hours after the so-called NDC unity walk in Tamale, party folks are still divided over the true intent of the walk, and the actors behind it.

Whereas the national organiser of the NDC, Kofi Adams claims the walk was organised by the Northern Regional Executives, a statement issued by Mahama front man, Kojo Bonsu says otherwise.

So, there you have it. A supposed NDC unity walk has end up dividing the rank and file more than it seeks to unite.
A unity walk without Mahama’s own vice president? A unity walk without the founder? A unity walk without the national chairman and leader of the Party? A unity walk without the other NDC Presidential hopefuls? Does this so-called unity walk bring unity or division?

Then again, who is going to organize and lead the Kumasi walk? Dr Kwabena Duffuor? What walks will Sylvester Mensah, Spio Garbrah, Horace Ankrah, Alban Gbagbin, Oppong Ofosu and Joshua Alabi lead?

Why the hell is the party leadership giving John Mahama free pass to ignore party structures? And why has the Council of elders said nothing about the so-called unity walk? Was it their idea? I thought the Kwesi Botchway corpse dressing committee report made certain findings? Which part of the recommendations says that John Mahama should lead a unity walk?

Clearly, this is nothing but a complete facade of an attempt at a Mahama imposition in the beguile form of a unity walk. It is also a clear manifestation of indiscipline that rather creates an “Us vs Them” situation within the party. Whiles disciplined and committed party loyalists are waiting patiently for the Council of Elders to initiate the healing process as recommended in the Prof Kwesi Botchway report, Mahama loyalists appear to be seeking to impose a Presidential candidate on the NDC and this is a sign of utter indiscipline.

John Mahama and his loyalists thinks a funfair/walk on the street coupled with a self-denying speech that attributes the NDC’s humiliating defeat to God will win back power in 2020. So, this man still don’t know why the NDC lost the elections? How does his continuous blasphemy changes anything? What has God got to do with your actions and inactions which culminated in your electoral humiliation?

When is this man going to face the reality and come to terms with the fact that he was rejected at the polls as a result of his leadership failures? This abhorrent and irresponsible way of speaking and thinking is what John Mahama and his minions have brought forth in our party. It is ripping apart, at the core, everything we stand for as a political party. We must RESIST the John Mahama agenda 2020 and move forward. Our greatest strength as a party will be denying Mahama and his team of power mongers the opportunity to lead us once again.

Some of us are sick to death of seeing the Mahama bloc doing everything possible to disintegrate the NDC. The party wouldn’t be in this stew that we’re in now if he’d shown leadership at all levels both as President and leader of the NDC. John Mahama is betraying the NDC to stoke his own delusions of grandeur. His attempt to impose himself on the party is completely at variance with our internal democratic experiment. He must give up the posturing and pretence and sit down and end this.

We need the best deal for the NDC going into 2020. It needs to be about the NDC and not about Mahama. We need to have the courage and speak out for good of the NDC.

John Mahama 2020 ticket is a sure way to another electoral disaster. There are far too many folks (NDC) who will never vote for him. And we know only too well that he’s been a misfortune to the party.
NDC needs discipline to win an election in a country in which the contest is about keeping your base intact and winning the concurrence of a majority of the uncommitted 10% of the voter population.

The party needs sober healing and direction at this time not campaign rallies disguised as unity/health walks where the dressing of participants connotes nothing close to the health walks that we all know.

Unity walk indeed!