Dr Obed Yao Asamoah, chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has denied the existence of an “Obed-Botchwey Camp” which was alleged to be supporting the flagbearership aspirations of Dr Kwesi Botchwey.

Reacting to media reports on the issue in a statement issued in Accra on Wednesday, Dr Asamoah said “it appears to me that a section of the media has embarked upon a programme of causing disaffection in the NDC against me”.

He said that two reports of an Accra private daily newspaper carried extensively by radio and television stations illustrated this. He said that the first report published on 09 September 2002, claimed that the “Obed-Botchwey Camp” was shedding crocodile tears over the death of Alhaji Kwadwo Maama Adam, the Brong-Ahafo Regional Chairman of the NDC.

“This is a cruel thing to say of persons not known to rejoice over other people’s misfortunes. There is no such “Obed-Botchwey Camp” and it is most unlikely that Dr Kwesi Botchwey is aware of this incident or that Alhaji Adam would have opposed to his bid for the flagbearership of the NDC,” he said.

Alhaji Maama Adam, he indicated was a dynamic asset to the NDC and he would be surely missed. He also denied the second report on 10 September, that he, Dr Asamoah was engaged in a scheme to dump 99 per cent of the Volta Region NDC MPs at the next elections, adding that there was no basis for the report.

He said it was surprising that such a crude and unsubstantiated programme could be given such wide publicity. Dr Asamoah made it clear that the NDC party had developed rules by which parliamentary candidates could be elected through a transparent and democratic process.

“I have fought and paid dearly for this and I am not about to engage in schemes that will undermine the process,” he stated. The NDC chairman observed that both Professor Evans Atta Mills and Dr Kwesi Botchwey had pleaded for civility, and therefore urged the media to “respect the wishes of these noble gentlemen and above all, resist the temptation to lower journalistic standards for one reason or another.”