The Eastern Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr. Bismark Taiwan Boateng has endorsed former President John Dramani Mahama to lead the party again in 2020 general elections as their flag bearer despite the abysmal performance at the 2016 polls.
According to him, the visions and policies that the former president laid down during his tenure as the President such as the E- block schools, water supply projects, asphalted roads, electricity and others indicates that he was a selfless man.
He believes former president Mahama followed the foot steps of Ghana’s first president, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah to transform the nation through developmental projects and for that matter should be given another chance.
“For me, we are democratic so if any NDC stalwart comes and contests for the flagbearership, I don’t have a problem, but he who fetches water cracks the pot. John Dramani Mahama has fetched the water and cracked the pot, we should let him go and fetch the water again because we have to cook our food,” he stressed.
The defeat of Former President John Dramani Mahama and the NDC in the last elections has destabilized plans by some presidential hopefuls of the now biggest opposition party nursing ambition to step into the shoes of the former President for the 2020 elections if he had secured his two term bid.
Ahead of the Party’s primary, former majority leader and current 2nd deputy speaker of parliament, Hon Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin, has emerged as one of the former President’s contenders.
A retired Rector of the University of Professional Studies Accra (UPSA), and Former Greater Accra Regional Minister under the Rawlings government, Prof. Joshuah Alabi is also reportedly lacing his boots to declare his intention to become the next flagbearer for the party.
Other persons include longstanding NDC flag bearer aspirant and former Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spio – Garbrah, Former speaker of Parliament, Edward Doe Adjaho and Former National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) CEO, Sylvester Mensah.
Speaking to Otec FM’s Kwaku Anane Junior, hon Bismark Tawiah Boateng advised party members to desist from blaming former President John Dramani Mahama for the Party’s defeat in the 2016 general elections.
Mr. Tawia Boateng however is optimistic that though some of the Party structures were weak, the NDC can reorganize to win election 2020.