NDC Turf War Thickens ...As Manly-Spain Mows Down Ade Coker

Henry Ekow Manly-Spain, the leading contender for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Greater Accra Regional Chairman positions, in the party’s upcoming regional executives’ election, has ruffled the feathers of incumbent Joseph Ade Coker once more.

This time round, the man, who is single-handedly choking any winsomeness that there is to the embattled incumbent chairman, has insinuated that Mr. Coker is not a very good strategic thinker.

Contrary to Ade Coker’s advice to the new Patriotic Party’s Nana Akufo-Addo to walk out of the NPP and form his own party, in the face of hostilities arising out of his decision to run a third time for the party’s flagbearership, Manly-Spine says Akufo-Addo staying is the best move.

In an interview in Accra last Friday, the prolific business tycoon said he did not see how the exiting of Akufo-Addo from the NPP would be good in any way for the NDC.

“There is no way that Ghanaians would vote for Akufo-Addo, his stay in the NPP is good for the chances of our party retaining power in 2016,” he argued, adding “Contrariwise, if Akufo-Addo leaves the NPP, the party will also fall apart based on all the cracks that have emerged along the Alan and Akufo-Addo camps, and so it is rather hard to understand how some politicians who should know better would advice that Akufo-Addo leaves the NPP to form his own party; to what end?”

This is the umpteenth time that Manly-Spain has knocked the wind under the wings of Ade Coker. Courtesy of previous hecklings, Ade Coker has lost a lot of appeal in the NDC, in the build-up to the elections.

On Friday, Mr. Coker told Radio Gold’s Valentina Ofori Afriyie that he was confident of retaining the seat because he had acquitted himself well in office as Greater Accra Chairman.

“Awhini pa Nkesa,” to wit, quality speaks for itself, Ade Coker had told Valentine. Then in typical political patronage, he attributed his ability to “deliver the Greater Accra Region” in the 2016 election to teamwork with his regional executives.

But Manly-Spain has long said Ade Coker’s citing of the NDC’s sterling performance in Greater Accra during the last election, as his claim to relevance, is not wholly true.

In earlier stories, Manly-Spain has said the party’s performance in Greater Accra was hinged on the affability of President John Mahama, who won the Presidential election in both Tema East and Tema West, even though the NDC’s Parliamentary candidates lost.

So far, at least three people have made intentions clear that they want to contest for Ade Coker’s post. In addition to Mr. Manly-Spain, former Municipal Chief Executive of Ledzokuku-Krowor, Daniel Amartey Mensah, and Nii Tackie Commey are the other two.

But of all the three contestants, Manly-Spain has been the most vocal in his campaign to unseat Ade Coker.

So far, he has corned the incumbent Greater Accra Regional chairman badly in a war of words in the media.

Source: The Enquirer