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.