Sylvester A. Mensah, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), has become the first stalwart of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to officially announce his intention to lead the opposition party as presidential candidate in the 2020 election.
The NDC flagged off the race on Thursday and announced that presidential hopefuls can start campaigning.
Interestingly, the party has not elected national officers to preside over the process and set guidelines for the conduct of the candidates.
Sources said the main opposition party was stampeded into lifting the ban on campaigning following declarations by Minority MPs to back John Mahama.
However, the party gave a caveat in lifting the ban, saying aspirants should notify the party before hitting the ground running.
So far, five people have declared their plans to take part in the election, which has been slated for December 7, 2018, exactly two years to the next general elections.
The presidential hopefuls are John Mahama, Joshua Alabi, Sylvester Mensah, Alban Bagbin and Ekwow Spio-Garbrah.
Bizarre essay contest
Interestingly, although all the other aspirants, including former president John Mahama, have hit the ground running, former Trade and Industry Minister, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, bizarrely prefers to organize ‘Essay competition’ to test his popularity before making up his mind.
Mr Spio-Garbrah, whose leading campaign team member dumped him recently, published an advertisement in a newspaper on Wednesday and asked NDC communicators to declare him fit to lead the party in 2020.
The advert reads: Flagbearership contest for the NDC National Essay Contest open to elected NDC Communication Officers and the essay topic is: “Why do you think Ekwow Spio-Garbrah will be a good leader for the NDC and a very good president of Ghana.”
Spio’s advert said “the essay competition is open to all NDC elected communicators at the branch and constituency and aspiring regional and national communicators.”
It said that the closing date is August 15, 2018.
The winner would take home GH¢3,000, GH¢2,000 for second prize winner, GH¢1,000 for third prize and GH¢500 for 4th to 6th positions, and GH¢200 for 8th to 10 positions respectively.
Serious aspirant
Barely 24 hours after the leadership of the party released a timetable for the party’s upcoming elections from regional to national level, Sylvester Mensah, wrote a letter to the General Secretary of the party to notify him of his intention to enter the race to become flagbearer of the NDC.
“I am pleased to thank you and the entire National Executive Committee of the party for officially declaring campaign activities towards the party’s presidential primaries open,” Mr. Mensah said in the letter.
He stated: “Having engaged in a nationwide consultation on the future leadership of our dear party, I am able to confirm that I would be contesting the vacant position of flagbearer for our dear party, the NDC,” adding “it’s my conviction that this communication satisfies the initial requirement of notification of intent to the party.”
It is an open secret that even though campaign activities towards the party’s presidential primaries official began on Thursday, some of the aspirants started campaigning about a year ago.
Mahama’s bid
Former President John Mahama, who wants to lead Ghana again, has been campaigning under the guise of ‘Unity Walk’ which other aspirants said has been skewed in his favour by the leadership of the party.
Already, some elders of the party, especially those from the Volta Region, which is the NDC’s stronghold, have dumped Mr. Mahama for Joshua Alabi, the immediate–past Rector of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA).
Former Foreign Minister under the Rawlings-led NDC administration, James Victor Gbeho, recently called Mr. Mahama a failure for leading the party to lose the 2016 election miserably.
The experienced diplomat, who was once MP for Anlo, said the time has come for the party to rebrand and build on its shortfalls in 2016 by electing a flagbearer, who has a better chance of leading the party to win the 2020 election.
“The reality now is that we are rebranding everything. In all democracies around the world, when you go to an election and you lose as badly as we did, the leadership steps aside not because you want to sack people, but it gives the party an opportunity to rebrand itself to look at its faults and change its ways and that is what we are doing now,” Mr. Gbeho told NDC faithful at a meeting at Ashaiman.
He said the NDC would make a big mistake if it relies solely on appearance and votes for Mr. Mahama again for the next election, saying it would be wrong to just follow somebody because of his good looks.
“My brother (Hon Ken Dzirasah) and I sat down one afternoon by the riverside in Sogakope. We thought a lot about our party. We thought a lot about the younger generation. And we asked ourselves who can lead us now? After consultations, we agreed that our best hope was in no other person than Professor Joshua Alabi,” he asserted.
Source: Daily Guide
Disclaimer: Opinions expressed here are those of the writers and do not reflect those of Peacefmonline.com. Peacefmonline.com accepts no responsibility legal or otherwise for their accuracy of content. Please report any inappropriate content to us, and we will evaluate it as a matter of priority. |
Please just read through the Lines my Fante brother is not ready to visit our ancestors so early.Mahama is a good candidate but the Big question is will Ghanaians accept to vote for him ?? Prof. and co. have a brighter chance from 2020 and beyond than JDM.
I see an eventual Mahama/Spio Ticket emerging
How can ndc win 2020 when you failed the same people you think will vote for you miserably ? do you people think at all before you talk or you think you can speak for the whole country? Ghana has 10 regions and your so called 2 regions for the NPP IN 2012 got them 47% in opposition your 8 regions gave you 50+8 votes when you were in power and you think, 47% and 2 regions in opposition which turned 54% and 6 regions, to ndc in power 44% and 4 regions with 1.5 million dificit can turn over in overnight for the ndc to win in 2020 then I think tramadol has taking over your minds. First of all, what did ndc do to benefit the good people of Ghana to demand their come back? 2ndly do you think ,Ghanaians need artogant, insulting, impunity, thi*ving impunity, power drunk orders from above yentie obiaa elements to rule us? you people might be joking! or you take your ndc strong holds as the only regions in Ghana? you funny papa! None of your candidates is marketable or acceptable to Ghanaians, they all hate Akans!and how are they going to win without Akan regions? you are funny papa!
A good name they say is better than riches, NDC as a party if well organized can win the General election in 2020, but in all we need UNITY. We shouldn't blame one person for the lost in power, All leaders must be blamed!!! WE NEED A GOOD LEADER WITH A GOOD NAME, A WORD TO A WISE ........ LONG LIVE NDC LONG LIVE GHANA.