It has emerged that former President Jerry John Rawlings did not attend the conference of former metropolitan, municipal and district chief executives (MMDCEs) who served under the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) government.
According to a source, he did not want to share a platform with immediate past President John Dramani Mahama.
DAILY GUIDE has been informed that the whole programme, organized by the former MMDCEs, appeared to have been sponsored by the camp of former President Mahama as part of his so-called ‘unity walk’ strategy; and as a result, Mr. Rawlings – founder of the NDC – was not fully convinced about the motive and so was being ‘tactful’ in the scheme of things.
Although the opposition party is yet to open nominations for presidential hopefuls towards the 2020 elections, Mr. Mahama – who sent the NDC crashing out of power in 2016 – has hit the ground running with his ‘unity walk’strategy.
He said he is yet to declare whether he will become the NDC flagbearer and give the presidency a third shot, but his fiery speeches were reminiscent of a candidate in a campaign mood.
DAILY GUIDE has learnt that the ex-president is expected to announce his candidature in the last lap of the ‘unity walk,’ which has been described as ‘Mahama walk’ in the Volta Region.
Mr. Rawlings was invited to speak at a ‘solidarity meeting’at Mensvic Hotel in Accra last Saturday, but sources say he allegedly refused to show up and rather asked one of his longtime NDC allies, Samuel Nuamah-Donkor, to represent him.
“In an apparent show of indifference, Mr. Rawlings, who was initially prepared to attend the event, refused to step at the venue of the meeting after being informed that Mr. Mahama was attending,” the source claimed. It added, “He (Rawlings) subsequently reluctantly nominated Mr. Samuel Nuamah Donkor to read a speech on his behalf after he was prevailed upon by his handlers.”
Mr Rawlings similarly ignored Mr. Mahama at the first State of the Nation Address delivered by President Akufo-Addo in Parliament, and only offered a cold handshake at the commemoration of the silver jubilee of the 4th Republic at the Black Star Square in Accra.
The source indicated that it appeared the party’s founder had not forgiven Mr. Mahama and some of his henchmen for the apparent trashy treatment they meted out to him and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, during Mahama’s presidency.
President Rawlings has not hidden his intention to call for a new direction for the NDC since he said the Mills/Mahama government lost the ‘moral high ground’ and accused them, especially, Mr. Mahama and his appointees, of being corrupt.
In 2016, he told the NDC at a congress that he was waiting to take the party back and re-organize it by January 2017, suggesting that he did not think the then ruling NDC was going to win the December 2016 general election, and it indeed happened.
In the speech read on his behalf at the MMDCEs’ conference, the NDC founder said, among other things that, even if the opposition NDC is keeping the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government on its toes, it is failing woefully to put its house in order ahead of the 2020 general election and beyond.
Mr. Rawlings said recent happenings in the NDC were showing that the party he founded is heavily divided and until they resolve their differences, they can’t win power.
According to him, the party is not unified, not in touch with the grassroots and did not inspire confidence in the electorate during the run-up to the last election and called on the party to re-embrace its core values of truth, integrity, probity and accountability.
Source: Daily Guide
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Jerry rawllings is not needed in ndc npp can take him because ndc doesn't need rawllings to win an election why are people wasting their precious time on rawllings and daily toilet news paper but to Papa j he will see de importance ofbndc supporters very soon because I for see him ending miserably because npp will desert him and we de ndc supporters will also not feel for him he should continue with his selfishness but de day of judgement is near for him
MAHAMA WILL BE PRESIDENT AT ALL COST AT 2020,EVEN THAT SHORTMAN IS PRESIDENT,RAWLINGS AGAINST MAHAMA AT 2012 ELECTION BUT WON THE ELECTION,RAWLINGS IS AGAINST NDC PARTY ALWAYS EXCEPT HIS WIFE BECOME PRESIDENT,SHAME TO RAWLINGS.
BIRDS WITH THE SAME FEATHERS FLOCK TOGETHER MAHAMA NIE, AKUA DONKOR NIE.
MAHAMA,ARE YOU STILL NOT SATISFY WITH THE WEALTH YOU HAVE MADE FOR YOURSELF AND FAMILY, EVEN BUYING CARS AND PROPERTIES FOR YOUR FRIENDS.
Mahama is not even needed in NDC again, sika die BASABASA. Because your incompetency as a PRESIDENT and a leading member in corruption NDC is fading off and it was clearly seen in the recent General Elections, GO FORM YOUR OWN PARTY WAI SO THAT PEOPLE CAN COME OUT AND VOTE MASIVELY FOR NDC. With your recent unprecedented result u gave to NDC, ABI NSI BIO. Oya leave the Party for those who have the party at HEART. MAHAMA THE OPPORTUNIST.
Well, it's not the fault of Daily Guide. Rawlings has descended so low as to allow his hatred and of Mahama and selfishness to become a puppet of NPP and Akufo-Addo. He cannot dine with NPP and seek to take control of NDC. Tofeakwa!! NDC has been too tolerant of the Rawlingses and this must stop.
MAHAMA IS PUSHING JJ OUT OF NDC. IT WILL BE VERY HARD FOR JJA TO GET HOLD OF THE PARTY AGAIN. PEOPLE DID NOT UNDERSTAND, BUT IT WAS ***barred word*** AND VERY CLEAR WITH NDC PARLIAMENTARIANS DURING THE STATE OF NATION ADDRESS BY PREZ. AKUFFO ADDO. IT WAS DENIED WHEN THE PREZ MENTIONED ABOUT IT. BUT NOTHING HAS PROVED IT WRONG EVER SINCE. AS LONG AS MAHAMA IS BURNT ON CONTESTING FOR PRIMARIES JJ WILL NOT BE AT PEACE. MAHAMA THROUGH HIS APPOINTEES HAS MADE SO MUCH MONEY AND IT WILL BE DIFFICULT FOR JJ TO MATCH MAHAMA'S WEALTH AS THE STRUGGLE TO OUTDO EACH OTHER TO GET CONTROL OVER NDC.
The NDC lack of good leadership in all aspects and attributions of a good leader has mostly be blamed on Rawlings, The Ex-President Rawlings is a complete failure when he is assessed in leadership and etiquette. He has a lot to learn from the other Ex-Presidents, particularly, Kufuor and Mills. Rawlings is a disgrace to the people of Ghana to have been their President before. The way he behaves sometimes is an eyesore. And I just can't understand why such a person could disrespect all the former Presidents in such a hateful glare. Indeed, it is becoming too rampant and must be checked. It is an insult to the people of Ghana because Ghanaians elected our former Presidents. He Rawlings was not properly elected in a real sense of democracy- rather opportunistic of the circumstance he created himself.
this tactics is way too old daily lies. grow up
Rawlings has lost grip of the NDC and cannot influence the members. You have lured him into your camp. Please use him and leave NDC alone. Whether he snubs or ignores or does not want to share platform with the immediate past president is neither here nor there. Is he able to share platform with Kuffuor? grow up man grow up. Anything Daily Guide publishes about Rawlings sells for them so I don't begrudge them