But, Kofi Adams accuses him of ‘bribing’ delegates for choleric declarations

All is now set for what is gunning up to be the most antagonistic internal party combat in Ghana’s history as Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings officially declares her intention to challenge the sitting President and leader of the ruling National Democratic Congress for the vacant 2012 Presidential Candidate position on Saturday, July 9.

The prospect of a sitting President being challenged by a member of his own party two years within his first term is unprecedented in the history of the Fourth Republic and both sides are determined to make a strong statement, ready to go all to show who really controls the NDC.

Events of recent weeks offer clear evidence of the raging political ‘civil war’ within the NDC, fed, no least, by growing disillusions over the party’s 2012 chances.

As earlier predicted by theNew Statesman, President J E A Mills and his materially more liquid faction see this as the final battle to “kill-off” and “bury” once and for all “any shadow of influence” that former President Rawlings and his wife have on the party that the couple built from their eleven years of military dictatorship.

To unleash this plan, regional party executives and other wings of the party, notably the Youth Wing (controlled by a Castle boy), are jumping over themselves to declare their support for the President even before nominations open next Wednesday, April 20.

Latest to declare for the President is the Greater Accra Regional party at a meeting engineered by Regional Chairman, Ade Coker, and MP for Ningo Prampram, E T Mensah.

But, Kofi Adams, the Spokesperson for Konadu’s campaign, has dismissed it all as “choleric declarations”, emanating from the seat of Government. But we are not worried because we have the ORS,” (Oral Rehydration Solution) “for it.”

Mr Adams, who is also the Deputy General Secretary of the NDC, described the declarations as “childish” and “incompetently stage-mannered,” which is only angering the grassroots delegates even more.

He has accused President Mills and his team of corrupting the democratic process. “They are using money, promises of contracts and threats to buy false loyalty.”

Using the disputed declaration of the Volta Regional party and yesterday’s own to make his point, Mr Adams said, “You call people and you don’t even tell them what the agenda is and once they show up you announce that the region is declaring for the President those in favour say aye.”

He dismissed the practice as unreal and reflective of the lack of intelligent strategy on the part of the Mills team, which was operating as if the party was for sale.

“We will continue with our strategy of interacting with the grassroots delegates and offering them a better future” after the Castle boys have come and gone.

Some 2,876 delegates will form the July electoral college. The list include 2,300 Constituency Officers, all 116 NDC MPs, all Ministers and District Chief Executives who are members of the party, numbering some additional 210, 120 Regional Officers, 60 founding members, 25 members of Council of Elders and 45 National Officers.

Mrs Rawlings announced her resignation on Wednesday, April 13, in a brief letter copied to the General Secretary of the NDC, who virtually doubles as Mills’ campaign manager, the Chairman, Kwabena Adjei, and the Founder, her husband.

She said the resignation was to "enable me respond to numerous calls on me to contest the flagbearership of the NDC when nominations are opened".

The New Statesmanhad earlier revealed in its April 11 edition that Nana Konadu was set to launch her campaign for the flagbearership position on Monday 18th April 2011. News of her resignation, therefore, came as no surprise. Yet, the New Statesman can report that the timing of Wednesday night was forced by rumours being peddled by the Mills camp that she was planning to drop out from the race.

Unfazed by the numerous endorsements being poured at the feet of her rival by constituency and regional party executives, Nana Konadu has the backing of, none other than the Founder of the party, who still has a nigh spiritual hold on the grassroots of the party.

It is this connection that the Mills camp, with young guns such as Haruna Iddrisu, Nii Lantey Vanderpuye, Omane Boamah, Sammy Okudzeto Ablakwa and Koku Anyidoho, and old guards such as the NDC Chairman and ET Mensah are determined to break.

Koku Anyidoho, the Director of Communications at the Presidency, has vowed that his boss will sweep over 80 per cent of votes at the JulyCongress

According to Koku, President Mills will not be drawn into “tangential issues,” - referring to Mrs Rawlings resigning her post as Vice Chairperson of the party to enable her pursue her dream of leading the ruling party into the 2012 General Elections.

“I know confidently from what I am seeing and what I am hearing, because some of us have lived it. We lived it throughout 2007 [and] 2006 in the build up to that Congress to elect our flagbearer for the 2008 elections. We went to the polls, President Mills had three other challengers, he came out with 81.4%. We believe strongly going round with him again and seeing what we are seeing; the development that is coming the way of people, that come July 2011 President Mills will go to Congress and it will be better than 81.4%,” he asserted.

According to him, the former first lady’s political ambition is not a matter that the President and people around him brood over, dismissing her as nothing more than that a "side issue."

Mr Anyidoho further stressed that the delegates “believe in the President.”