As Professor John Evans Atta Mills tentatively hop-steps-and jumps in his bid to run rings around the watching, feuding aspirants and their campaign aides in the New Patriotic Party, life in the National Democratic Party, to some of the leading members has so become a bore that they are quietly crossing carpet or going AWOL....

This they are doing in the face of the internal wrangling that has bedevilled the party since its last Congress and which has found unpalatable vent in the formation of the Democratic Freedom Party. And so, slowly but surely, the National Democratic Party continues to lose quality human resource to other parties or into political void. Away from the prying eyes of the media, one former PNDC Regional Secretary for the Volta Region has also quietly left the Rawlings camp and pitched camp with the Democratic Freedom Party. He is Dr. Francis Agble.

His quiet departure from the Rawlings camp and entry into the DFP brings to the fore the rumours about a teeming number of party frontliners on the verge of quitting before the 2008 elections. It also brings to the fore fears that all may not be well in the party which, though appears positioned to give the ruling New Patriotic Party a good run for their money in the 2008 elections, may yet have deep-seated internal problems which it is finding difficult to overcome.

Faces that have disappeared from the NDC frontline, for now, include mostly indigenous Accra boys like Sydney Laryea, former Mayor Nat Nunoo Amarteifio, Quaynor Mettle Nunoo, Dr. MacGranaky Quaye and Josiah Aryeh. Former National Organiser and CDR`s Boss, Yaw Akrasi Sarpong has also been missed by most cadres. That is beside stalwarts like Opoku Acheampong, who had intended fighting for the number one position of the party in 1998, only to be knocked off by circumstances beyond his control on account of the Swedru Declaration that brought on board the affable Mills, who is set to make or break the NDC in the December 2008 elections.

Others include Don Arthur; former Trade Minister John Abu, ex-convict Ibrahim Adams and Huudu Yahaya, all of whom have held prominent positions in the party. Rebecca Adotey, another tough talking indigenous Accra lady, who controversially found herself in Parliament in 1996 on the wings of the Wuogon constituency, has also been missing in action since 2000 and so is Christine Amoako Nuamah, one of the moderate female voices in the party.

Statesmanly Dr. Francis Agble, the newcomer politician to the DFP fold, was last week seen by GO in the company of leading members of the DFP during a party programme at Nima to inaugurate constituency executives into office. Other big names about to exit the scene for now include Honourable Sallas Mensah, who is one of the longest-serving MPs on the floor of Parliament and the NDC MP for Bole Bamboi, the suave, smooth talking John Mahama.

Insider sources, including our Kuku Hill sources, say the wait and see attitude on the part of such dormant leading members is taking `a heavy toll on the party`s campaign machine in spite of Professor Mills` huge chances of winning the 2008 presidential elections.` Already, our source added, the campaign tempo and horse power has reduced by virtue of defections that has hit the party from the front of young organisers, who have fallen in love the Democratic Freedom Party.