General News of Tuesday, 10 September 2013

Source: joyonline

Sinking Ade Coker is tying his political fortunes to Mahama - Ben Ephson

Pollster Ben Ephson is suggesting that Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, Ade Coker, is on his way to lose his position and wants to use President Mahama to hang on to power.

Nevertheless, he is also campaigning for the party's delegates to reject Mr Coker for his "selfish" posture.

Mr Coker has vowed in an interview with Joy News that he will ensure that President Mahama goes unopposed when the party gets ready to contest the 2016 polls. The statement has been described as irresponsible and diversionary by the party's Deputy National General Secretary, George Lawson

Mr Ephson, however, told Joy News on Monday: "I think that there is one thing common between Ade Coker of NDC, and Sir John of NPP, F.F. Anto of NPP and Jake Obetsebi Lamptey. All these four persons are in danger of losing their positions in the coming elections; so they are just jumping the gun and tying their political fortunes to the presidential candidates".

He observed that some members of the NDC in the Greater Accra have sworn to unseat Ade Coker to enable a native of the region to take up his position. He said those playing the ethnic card have advised him to move to the Central Region if he wants a position in the party at the regional level.

Mr Ephson reiterated his call on NDC delegates to vote out Ade Coker. He made a similar call to NPP to punish persons such as Sir John, Jake Obetsebi-Lamptey and F. F. Anto.

He claimed these men are "selfish", and the campaigns they claim to be waging for John Mahama and Nana Akufo-Addo to run as presidential candidates for 2016 is to enable they themselves to maintain their various positions in their respective parties.

"That for your own political inward looking attitude, you will just say something which will throw the main concentration of your party overboard. Ade Coker by now, if I were a delegate, I will campaign that he will lose, so that next time if he has any position he will take an overview of the party's interest than his own parochial interest."