…says the region is not important

(Accra Daily Mail) -- Snippets of information gathered by the ADM indicate that, the former vice president and twice defeated NDC Presidential candidate, Prof John Attah Mills, has finally lost confidence in the people of Central Region, because their votes “could not fetch him the presidency”.

The presidential hopeful disparaged the region when he compared votes from six central regional constituencies to that of Weija in the Greater Accra Region, and said winning the latter is more important to him. Prof Mills made the outrageous statement when he met the Ashanti Regional delegates of the NDC at Obuasi, during his nationwide tour to galvanize support for his presidential bid.

A close source in the NDC who happened to be at the said meeting told ADM: “The statement from Prof Mills came as a shock to us. We only asked him how he is going to capture the Central Region for the party. But for him to respond that votes from Weija which is about 180,000 is even more than six constituencies in the Central Region, indicates that he is not ready to work with the people in the Region.”

According to the source, by his statement, the Professor gave himself out that, he is not prepared to win more votes for the party in his home region, where he was handed a disgraceful blow in the 2004 general elections, and would rather concentrate on a place like Weija, because getting Weija is tantamount to six constituencies, if the region in turn does not accept him.

Another NDC leading member, who wants to remain anonymous for now, but shared the same sentiment with the ADM source said, the party needs someone who has won the confidence of his own people, and would therefore be able to win their votes and those of the floating voters.

This party guru feared another defeat under the leadership of Prof. Evans Attah Mills, because, “since he became our flagbearer, for example, the votes the New Patriotic Party (NPP) have been getting in the Volta Region have been increasing.” Even though some quarters in the NDC think otherwise and support Prof. Mills’ candidature, because he is the most marketable person in the party at the moment, yet, when asked for his view who would then be the ideal candidate, he staked his neck out and said: “Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama is the obvious choice”.

Asked why him, he said: “We want a moderate candidate like Nelson Mandela, and, Alhaji Iddrisu is the Nelson Mandela of Ghana who can galvanize support from everywhere”. Why the comparison, the leading party member said, despite the frustrations and torture he went through, Nelson Mandela did not retaliate when he gained power. He rather worked towards unity.

“The NPP government knows they are going out of power, so they need a presidential candidate from the opposition who would not return fire. With his UP background, the NPP themselves would have more confidence in him and believe that he would not punish them, for peace and stability in this country to prevail , unlike Mills who Rawlings has control over” he alleged. He concluded: “That is kind of figure the NDC should look out for, who can also galvanize support from the NPP, and there would be no witch-hunting”.