The founder member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and presidential hopeful, Mr Augustus Goosie Tanoh has become the 11th presidential aspirant to officially inform the NDC about his intentions to contest the 2020 flagbearership slot of the party.
Mr Tanoh, who was dressed in an all-white garment with an NDC-branded scarf draped around his neck, entered the NDC headquarters in Accra shortly after 11 a.m. yesterday and in an address before presenting his letter of intent to NDC General Secretary, Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, declared "We are here today to fulfill an administrative requirement announced by our dear General Secretary, Mr Asiedu Nketia, to submit our letters of intent.”
He said he was submitting his letter of intent to contest the presidential primaries of the NDC and hopefully with success, become the flag bearer for the NDC for the 2020 elections.
Other aspirants
The other aspirants include former President John Mahama, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Mr Alban Kingsford Sumani Bagbin; a former Trade Minister, Mr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah and a former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Mr Sylvester Adinam Mensah.
The rest are the former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Professor Joshua Alabi; a banker and oil and gas consultant, Mr Nurideen Iddrisu; the Member of Parliament (MP) for Cape Coast South, Mr George Kwaku Ricketts Hagan; a member of the NDC’s communication team, Mr Stephen Atubiga; a lawyer, Mr Elikplim Agbemava and Mr David Dotse Kwame Kuwadah.
Opportunity for delegates
Mr Tanoh described his entry into the flagbearership race as an opportunity for delegates to halt the continuing decay of the country's fortunes.
According to him, his selection as the flag bearer would give Ghanaians a choice to develop the country, as his campaign would focus on social justice, accountability and development.
He said, "a lot of water has passed under the bridge since December 2016 and all of us are yearning for a revitalised and renewed NDC, we believe that we have the programmes and the mobilising capacity to be able to implement this agenda of social justice and accountability and development which are the founding principle of our great party, the NDC.”
"I am here with our branch chairman because our belief is that the NDC starts from the branch. Ghana starts from the community. If we build these communities, nourish them, and allow them to grow by our support, Ghana will develop. As I said earlier, development does not begin at the Flagstaff House, it begins in the communities.”
"We have a choice"
Mr Tanoh, 62, was urged on by hundreds of his drum-beating supporters who were clad in Goozie -2020 branded T-shirts which had the tag-line: "We Have A Choice" to present the letter.
Explaining the rationale of the theme behind his campaign in an interview with the Daily Graphic, Mr Tanoh said Ghanaians had a choice to persist with bad governance or choose him to spark a change for the better.
"I believe that we have a political culture that has sent our country to a certain measure of continuing decay. We either continue that path or we change," Mr Tanoh stated.
Status of National Reform Party
Addressing his breakaway from the party to form the National Reform Party (NRP) in 1999 and subsequent return at the behest of the late President John Evans Atta Mills in 2007, Mr Tanoh explained that the NRP was functional only because the Political Parties Law does not have a mechanism for dissolution of political parties.
NDC flagbearer elections
Mr Nketia said challenges with the NDC branch elections resulted in the national executive of the party asking flagbearer aspirants to inform the party of their intentions.
He explained that the regular schedule would have been unfair to candidates who were not as popular as the immediate past President, Mr John Mahama.
"We all know that according to the NDC constitution, we have to select our presidential candidate 24 calendar months before the next general election when we are in opposition. When we are in government, we require only 12 months to the next general election,” he said.
Source: graphic.com.gh
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You see, Nana is a first class politician who has clearly defined his policy and thoughtfully coined a powerful slogan, 'Ghana beyond Aid' to embody and reflect his vision. Which seems to be appealing to most of the World powerful leaders and finding a positive response. I was emotionally touched when I heard OYE, Nana's favorite song being played for him, to welcome him to China. A friendly gesture, indeed. I am not saying this to scare away NDC from the 2020 elections, but to contest the caliber of Nana and his NPP to date, you really have to tighten your belt in terms of policy message and political expediency. Propaganda, populism and loose polemics can never be a match for Nana, the President, and his NPP. And I strongly warn NDC to discard playing the tribal card of bigotry. That would clearly be counterproductive and NDC would suffer bitterly for it. For, the Ghanaians have grown out of the status quo-politics of deceit, boys with sharp teeth mantra and repetitions of lies for ostensible truth. And I bet, 20% execution of NPP promises and manifesto would put her out of reach for NDC in terms of its multiple effects, competence, credibility and fulfilling the aspirations of many Ghanaians. The dynamics of World Politics today, put good Leadership in African Politics at advantage to boost and own wise investments in Africa. So far I see some hope in Goosie Tanoh for the NDC at least to bring NDC, to break away from Legon campus type of politics. Goosie seems determined to start from grassroots work, to transform NDC into real, practical, policy and issued based politics relevant to solving the economic and social problems facing Africa to date.
All the rats are coming from their holes to chop presidents. Nawaa ooo.
Gen.Mosquitoe,there will be 17 theives by d time d primaries come on.Nii Lartey Pessey Ican see u are going to be Goosie's running mate;lace up ur boots.
THE 11 ARE MORE DANGEROUS THAN ARMED ROBBERS. WHEN ANY OF THEM GETS THE OPPORTUNITY, HE WILL ROB THE COUNTRY TO IT BONES. YOU ALL BETTER ROT IN OPPOSITION
In need you have lived your name.
Maame Biama Kwafo gyimiii partisan newscaster and other lady news casters @ peacefm doing hatchet job for their paid masters the NPPigs. What is the coloration between the case involving DKM and others and that of the artificial collapsed 7 banks? Why should you give your opinion on Adongo’s suggestion that those banks will be returned to their owners whilst reading news? Why do you choose to review perceived NDC newspapers the way you want but review others the way they are written? Who forces you to review Daily Post, Herald, etc.? Motw3mu Kankan all lady newscasters and newspaper reviewers at peacefm, neat fm and okay fm. Moho foooo
Please kindly inform Asiedu Nketia that I have spotted some Eleven-11 AARMMED ROBBBERS behind their party office. Tell him to call the police to arm themselves or get a reinforced squad in addition before they arrive at the scene because it is believed that these AARMMED ROBBBERS are more dangerous and deadly than the Seventeen-17 thiieeves he also spotted in 2007 around the NPP headquarters. Hurry!!
THEY NOW HAVE 11 THIE*VES GOING TO SELECT THE CHAMPION THIE*F.
NPP presented 17 seventeen candidates