Contrary to some media report that the opposition NDC may not have received the full backing of their founder, Jerry John Rawlings in the recently launched manifesto, Nana Oye Bampoe-Addo, a secretary to the manifesto committee of the party says such assumptions are false and without merit.

According to her, though the absence of the former president and some other bigwigs of the party is suggestive of some internal wrangling in the party, that is not the case.

As a matter of fact, the manifesto received the full endorsement from the party’s founder who has over the years caused substantive shifts, Nana Oye has revealed.

“We met with the founder and he’s actually here (in photo), he actually approved and authorized this…we (the manifesto committee) met him, this was last week. We presented a draft of the manifesto, he even requested for a memoranda and he wanted to have a look so we gave him copies,” she told Umaru Sanda on Face-to-Face.

However, Nana Oye Bampoe’s explanation on Rawlings’ involvement in the process was silent on his response. She indicated that after receipt of the document Mr Rawlings then gave the committee his picture.

When asked if the former leader was pleased with the work of the committee, she said; “Well we gave it to him and then he gave us this (his picture) …he didn’t sign, he gave the picture…he fully endorsed it.”

With regards to the Rawlings’ absence from the manifesto launch, Nana Oye Bampoe-Addo was unable to answer questions relating to that as she admitted that; “well I don’t know about the invitations, I don’t know about what could have (caused it)…”

Former President Jerry John Rawlings was not the only party bigwig who was absent at the launch of the manifesto. The likes of Dr Tony Aidoo, former head of Monitoring and Evaluation Unit at the Presidency; the Ahwoi brothers – Kwamena Ahwoi, Kwesi Ahwoi and Ato Ahwoi – were also absent.