General News of Monday, 6 November 2017
Source: todaygh.com
Information available to Today indicates that there is no unity among Minority members of Parliament (MPs), following the visit to former President John Dramani Mahama’s Office last week by some 80 MPs to plead with him [Mr. Mahama] to contest the party’s presidential primary next year.
According to these MPs, the choice of former President Dramani Mahama to lead the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 election is non-negotiable.
“Mr Mahama is an ideal candidate to lead the party to victory in the 2020 poll, and we are committed to ensuring that this bidding is realised, hence our call on him to lead us,” an MP who was part of the team that visited ex-Ghanaian leader said on condition of anonymity.
But little did they know that their visit and call on former President Dramani Mahama to lead the NDC in the 2020 poll would incur the wrath of their colleague MPs who do not support the comeback of Mr. Mahama.
According to our investigations, it is not only the case that the anti-Mahama MPs were fuming with anger, but more importantly, some national and regional executives of the party were equally incensed, describing the move by the 80 MPs as “unwarranted and selfish.”
Conspicuously missing from the 80 MPs who went to former President Dramani Mahama’s office were Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, MP for Nadawli Kaleo Constituency in the Upper West Region, Alhaji Muntaka Mubarak, MP for Asawase Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Dr Zenator Rawlings, MP for Klottey Korley in the Greater Accra Region, Samuel Atta Mills, MP for Komenda Edina Eguafo-Abirem (KEEA) in the Central Region, Dr Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije MP for Ablekuma South in the Greater Accra Region and Joseph Naabu Bipoba, MP for Yunyoo in the Northern Region.
In an interview with Today at the weekend via telephone, an MP who pleaded to speak on condition of anonymity was against the whole idea of his colleague MPs asking for the comeback of former President Dramani Mahama. According to him, the NDC needs a new face in 2020.
However, the MP doubted if indeed it was true that 80 of them went to Mr. Mahama to plead with him to come back and lead the NDC as was disclosed by the MP for Builsa South, Dr. Clement Apaak.
“In fact I can tell you [referring to this reporter] that although some of us don’t believe it, the mere fact that one of our own [referring to Dr. Apaak] has let us know their choice, it is going to affect our work in Parliament,” he said.