By William
Yaw Owusu
Wednesday
August 29, 2018
Former Finance Minister and National Democratic
Congress (NDC) presidential hopeful, Professor Kwesi Botchwey, has described
the faces behind media reports of him picking nomination forms to contest the
chairmanship position of the main opposition party as wicked.
Prof Botchwey, who is lacing his boots to enter the flagbearership
race of the NDC for the 2020 presidential election, said he never asked anybody
to act for him, saying that the purported picking of forms to contest the
chairmanship position came to him as a surprise.
His office issued a statement yesterday debunking media
reports that he picked nomination forms to contest as chairman of the party.
Prof Botchwey said he was rather aiming for something
higher which implies that he is interested in the flagbearership position.
“The office wants to put it on record that
Professor Kwesi Botchwey has not authorised any person to pick a form on his
behalf, or has he ever considered contesting for the office of NDC National
Chairman.
“We consider this act by some faceless
people as desperate, wicked, and devious with the intent of portraying him as
inconsistent with his decisions, and a deliberate attempt to create confusion
in the mind of his teeming supporters,” the statement said.
According to sources, the forms were
picked by people close to former President John Mahama, who is staging a
comeback for the NDC’s flagbearership slot.
The highest position in the NDC, according to the
party’s constitution, is the National Chairman but once a flagbearer is elected,
the leadership mantle is given to him or her to steer affairs.
It has emerged that the Mahama Boys are allegedly behind
the chairmanship move of Prof Botchwey since they see him as the main threat to
the former President’s presidential plans if he should contest for 2020.
The motive, according to sources, was to make Prof.
Botchwey, who chaired the 13-member Committee that investigated NDC’s abysmal
performance in the 2016 general election, appear ‘inconsistent’ as far as his
political ambitions are concerned.
But the former Finance Minister’s office described the
move as “wicked and devious.”
Incensed by the action of his detractors about
‘forced’ chairmanship agenda, the former Minister’s camp said it “shall
investigate and report this conduct to the National Executive Committee to
bring to book the persons behind this desperate conduct.”
Chairmanship
Snub
The NDC presidential hopeful said his next political
move would be unveiled in the days ahead.
“In the coming days, Professor Kwesi Botchwey shall
publicly declare his intention and the capacity in which he will decide to lead
the party for victory 2020. We want to assure our teeming supporters that Prof.
Kwesi Botchwey remains resolute to the agenda agreed on,” it stated.
Main
Contenders
So far about 11 NDC gurus, including former
President John Dramani Mahama, have declared their intention to lead the party,
and DAILY
GUIDE learnt the number could increase before close of nomination ahead
of the showdown on December 7, 2018, two clear years before the 2020 general
election.
Apart from former President Mahama, who wants a
second shot at the presidency after his government was sent packing in 2016 for
poor show, former Rector of the University of Professional Studies (UPSA)
Professor Joshua Alabi, former Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekwow
Spio-Garbrah and Second Deputy Speaker and NDC MP for Nadowli Kaleo, Alban
Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, are all in the race.
Former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National
Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Sylvester A. Mensah, former Central Regional
Minister and NDC MP for Cape Coast South, George Kweku Ricketts-Hagan, are also
contesting.
It’s even believed that Augustus Goosie O. Tanoh,
who abandoned the NDC ahead of the crucial 2000 general election, which the NDC
lost to then opposition NPP, wants to come back to lead the party.
Many ardent NDC members have never forgiven him for
forming his own NRP which made the NDC lose that election which brought
President J.A. Kufuor and Alhaji Aliu Mahama to power.
A lawyer and NDC Communications Team member called
Elipklim Agbemava, a banker and oil and gas consultant, Nurudeen Iddrisu and
one David Dotse Kwame Kuwadah, have all declared their intention to challenge
the former president.
Even maverick Stephen Atubiga, aka Latrician or
Acolatse, who Justice Atuguba humorously described as ‘somebody who can burn
down a market’ during the landmark Presidential Election petition after being
cited for contempt, is also in the race to lead the NDC.
Atubiga had derisively said that Mahama’s comeback
is not ‘sexual intercourse’ for him to call for second round.
Atubiga claimed cynically that Mr. Mahama would be a
good running mate for him.
Former Vice-President, Paa Kwesi Bekoe
Amissah-Arthur, who was buried last month, was preparing to contest his boss,
Mr. Mahama.
He was believed to have the full support of former
National Security Advisor, Baba Kamara, who reportedly fell out with Mr. Mahama.
Former President Mahama says he is seeking a second
shot at the presidency because he believes he owes a duty to God and the
country to do so.
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