Mr Stephen Ashitey Adjei, Tema East executive member of the National Democratic Congress has urged members of the New Patriotic Party to allow them to choose their Presidential candidate and stop ‘imposing’ former President Mahama on them.
“You see, in the past, when some of us revealed that the NPP is on a mission to use reverse-psychology to make Mahama run for the flagbearership so that they can easily beat him in 2020 if he wins, people did not take us serious. This order from the NPP Constituency Chairman, as shocking as it is, is part of the agenda to force Mahama into the race.
“But I can promise the NPP that whether Mahama runs or not, their plans will never succeed, the NDC will elect somebody else that will lead us to beat the NPP in 2020,”.
Mr Ashitey-Adjei who was speaking in an interview with the Ghana News Agency on the prospects of the NDC in 2020 elections said although there were calls from different candidates, the NDC would be the final decider in their congress.
Mr Dennis Amfo-Sefah, NPP Tema West Constituency, a couple of weeks ago shockingly ‘ordered’ the former President John Dramani Mahama, to lead the opposition NDC into the 2020 elections for them to have a leeway in the election.
Earlier on, Mr Bernard Antwi-Bosiako, Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP also said the NPP would bring back the former President John Dramani Mahama in the 2020 polls.
Mr Ashitey-Adjei who is also known as Moshake said that by calling on the former President to stand for selection was an infringement upon the liberties of the NDC members to make an informed choice.
According to him, the grounds were rather fertile for the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin to lead the NDC into 2020 and not former President Mahama.
Moshake said the NPP preferred candidature because it would be easy for the NPP to win in 2020 against the NDC if Mahama was the party’s flagbearer.
He said Mr Amfo-Sefah also known as Nana Boakye’s order resounded an earlier declaration by the Ashanti regional Chairman of the ruling NPP, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias Wontumi, to the effect that the NPP will force Mahama to run in 2020.
Moshake and other NDC members had been revealing that the calls from within the NPP on Mr. Mahama to run, was part of a strategy to use reverse-psychology to make him rescind his earlier decision not to run for President again, this according to him, was because the NPP believed Mahama, with all the baggage from his earlier four year administration would be easier to beat.
“The NPP must stop trying to impose Mahama on the NDC through monkey tricks. There are many people who have put themselves out to run for the flagbearership and why is it that it is only Mahama that they are trying to influence into running?”
Moshake dared the ruling party to stop its antics and wait for any candidate that the NDC would produce for 2020 if the NPP really had the courage and track record to face worthy opposition.
The Tema East NDC executive member reiterated that the trick that the NPP was trying to use to get Mahama to lead the NDC was aimed at continuing the manipulations that the ruling party had subjected Mahama to, while he was President.
“The NPP know that Mr Alban Bagbin would be very difficult to beat so they are trying to shepherd Mahama into the flagbearership again, but we promise them that they will never hold the NDC to ransom through Mahama again. Bagbin is leading us into 2020.”