General News of Thursday, 9 July 2020

Source: mynewsgh.com

You called Mrs Rawlings 'overambitious' but praise Prof Opoku Agyemang – Dela Coffie

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Founder of NDP Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, Founder of NDP

National Democratic Congress (NDC) activist Dela Coffie has criticized persons who described former First Lady as overambitious when she sought to be Presidential Candidate of the NDC but are praising the selection of Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang.

He has described such persons as engaged in politics of convenience.

Following the selection of Prof Jane Naana Opoku Agyemang as running mate to John Mahama, many people within and without the NDC have hailed it as a win for women empowerment and inclusiveness.

But Mr Coffie has wondered why the same support was extended Mrs Konadu Agyemang Rawlings when she challenged late former President John Atta Mills in 2011 for the presidential candidate position of the NDC.

“Long before the advent of Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman, there was a certain Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings who made a strong, resolute and compelling statement for gender empowerment in the politics of the NDC and Ghana for that matter.

Interestingly, folks who claimed at the time that NKAR was overambitious, and berated her for daring to take on the establishment in the NDC presidential primaries are today singing with juvenile glee, and in ugly chorus with justifications that NJO-A’s nomination is the best thing that has ever happened to gender empowerment.

Politics of convenience; good for the goose, NOT so for the gander.We are still learning,” he noted on Facebook.

In 2011, Mrs Rawlings challenged then incumbent President Atta Mills for the slot of flagbearer of the NDC. She managed to get a out 3% of the 3000 votes at the time. Even though she had some support, the unprecedented move to challenge a sitting President for the leadership position of the party worked against her.

Prof Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang is the first female to be selected running mate for a major party that has won political power before. She is much experienced academic, administrator and politician.