Mahama To Lead NDC Again!

Former President John Mahama has given the strongest indication he may contest the next presidential election on the ticket of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He says he is close to announcing his decision on his political future and that the delay in communicating same was to allow the party re-organise itself.

In the view of the former president, after seeing the success of the process so far, it will be prudent to announce his decision.

Mahama Returns?

Mr. Mahama speaking the party’s ninth Unity Walk in the Upper East regional capital Bolgatanga, over the weekend, noted that he has had the opportunity to discuss the issue with people who have the party’s best interest at heart.

“Sooner rather than later…I think very very soon, I would make my political future clear…as I said earlier, I do not want my decision whether to run or not to affect the reorganization of the party,” he said.

Mr Mahama argued that now that the branching of the party is completed and “I can see that reorganization of the party is on track…the time is arriving when I need to make a decision.”

He believes stating his intention will help the party to focus on the task ahead and how it is moving forward toward the election.

The debate of who leads the NDC into the next general election in 2020 has been a thorny issue for political watchers.

Former President Mahama polled a little above 44% of total votes cast in the last election, the lowest for an incumbent President, and losing the Presidency to the New Patriotic Party’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.

No Mahama

Already, the recommendation of the Kwesi Botchwey fact-finding Committee tasked to investigate the 2016 defeat of the NDC has emphatically blamed Mr. Mahama, the NDC leader, for the party’s defeat, with recommendations that he should not be allowed to lead the party in 2020.

The 67-page report, which has been close to the chest of the party states categorically that former President John Mahama – who was painted with brushes of alleged corruption by the then opposition NPP throughout his tenure –  was the principal cause of the party’s defeat in the 2016 polls.

“The NPP won because their leader was acclaimed to be incorruptible while ours was tainted with corruption and bribery, so going into the 2020 elections, we (Kwesi Botchwey Committee) propose that we elect somebody who can also claim to be incorruptible,” the committee’s report recommended.

This recommendation, contradicts the gestures of Mr. Mahama who is largely tipped to lead the NDC into election 2020.

So far some names like former National Health Insurance Scheme boss, Sylvester Mensah, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin and former legislator for Ledzekuku, Joshua Alabi making the rounds as substitute for Mr. Mahama.

By: Jeffery De-Graft Johnson/thePublisher