Stephen Atubiga says he is not going to retract his comments against Professor Joshua Alabi since they were the truth and nothing personal.
Atubiga a member of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been suspended for failing to apologize to Prof Alabi.
A statement signed by the party’s General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia indicated that Mr Atubiga, “agreed to write officially on your Facebook wall retracting your earlier writings and to write officially to Hon. Joshua Alabi apologizing personally to him and to refrain from such defamatory comments in the future. However, recent publications on social media attributed to you on March 8, March 12, and March 14 among others, denigrating the Party and individuals in the Party indicate that you are not only in breach of your own promise and hence not reliable but you are further denting the image of the party contrary to article 47 (1) (a, b) of the party’s constitution.”
"You are therefore by this letter to take note and notice is hereby given that your membership of the NDC is suspended, pending the hearing and final determination by the National Disciplinary Committee".
Speaking to this in an interview on Neat FM's 'Me Man Nti' programme, Atubiga said the comments he made about Prof Alabi was nothing personal and that, "I have the right to criticize him as the campaign Manager but granted that if Prof Alabi has an issue with me, he can write to the party and send me a copy . . . Prof Alabi is not a party member more than me . . . if they are referring to senior members in the party I am one of them . . . I’ve been arrested because of this party, no one came to my house yet I didn't get discouraged".
" . . I am a nonentity in the party, I am a fly that whether my inclusion or my exclusion doesn't reduce NDC or doesn't add anything to the party. We should rather focus how we can rebuild the party why we lost and the party should appreciate the criticism that internally we are drawing the attention why we lost miserably," he said.
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"I want Ofosu Ampofo to understand that if you are a Chairman of the party and leading six million people plus members, we cannot have the same character; there are some people who need special care, special attention in managing them . . . Prof Alabi was the campaign Manager and it was his duty to ensure Mahama wins, but if I will be suspended for pointing that out then so be it . . . " he added.
Possible Expulsion
Atubiga says he won't be cowed into silence and that if there is something going wrong in the party, he will boldly say it and keep his dignity intact, even if it will cost him being expelled from the party.
"Our IT system crashed (during the election) . . . you have set up an IT system like Binduri internet café and you don’t want us to talk . . . "
"I have been with this party for 28 years in good standing order and if I am sacrificing myself to draw attention to our failures, I accept it (expulsion) in good faith . . . I’m a real man with a wife and children. Responsible man that can lead this country one day, nobody can take that dignity away from me, not Ofosu Ampofo. You can take my name out of the party but you can’t take the party out of me . . . it won't stop me from protecting and defending the interest of this party . . . "
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