Mahama cracks the whip; gets NDC’s 'Maradona's' support

Ahead of the oncoming national delegates’ congress of the National Democratic Congress to pick a flag bearer for the leading opposition party, information reaching the FREE PRESS from ordinary party apparatchiks is that former President John Dramani is more likely to win the hearts and minds as well as votes of the delegates than lose to any candidate.

The report tallies with official studies conducted by the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana which indicates that Mahama is likely to win the NDC flag bearer contest.

John Mahama, however, may lose the Eastern, Volta and Northern regions, according to June 4 cadre friends of the FREE PRESS.

However, as the FREE PRESS has been told, a combination of strategies had to be implored in winning the game for John Mahama, including quiet intimidation, coercion and current and future promises.

The decision to return Mahama is incidentally being backed by NDC’s lead political kingpin and his brothers, Ato Ahwoi.

Ato was the guy who scouted Professor John Evans Atta Mills for the NDC and is also the guy who arranged the KAMA Conference Centre running mate deal that locked out Jerry Rawlings from the decision to fly John Mahama as the late Prof’s running mate.

June 4 cadre friends of the FREE PRESS who confirmed the reports said with Ato backing John Mahama again, Alban Bagbin, Dr. Ekwow Spio-Grabrah, Sylvester Mensah, Prof Joshua Alabi et al do not have a dog’s chance against Mahama.

Ato, they insist, is a Maradona in politics as far as the NDC is concerned. He is not only an astute businessman, but also a shrewd personality – particularly when money issues are involved.

According to FREE PRESS scouts, monies are being made available and anyone refusing to take that does it at his or her own disadvantage because the thinking is that anyone seen fighting the decision is considered fighting his or her own future in a future Mahama administration.

Our reporters were told that only those ready to defect can decide to keep fighting the Return Mahama agenda. Again, the regions that may be seeing defections are the same three regions cited by the June 4 cadre sources.