NDC leaders targeting 2024 and not 2020 elections – Rawlings

Founder of the National Democratic Congress ( NDC) Jerry John Rawlings has accused some leaders within the party of already giving up hope in 2020 general elections but are merely claiming it is possible while their target is the 2024 general elections.

He argued that it will be difficult to win the 2020 elections against the NPP after only four years which he described as “midterm strike”. Fully aware of this, some leaders are just using it as a “transit “for the 2024 elections.

For a Cadres meeting to be taking place, if we cannot do a serious indent examination of our strength and weakness then it is not a real Cadres meeting. It’s nice to hear your determination towards 2020 victory, and yes there are some among us in the leadership who initially didn’t think after four years you can wrestle power from these people. And yet, if I may speak frankly, have gone ahead and almost purchased the power of this party into the pocket and claiming to be aiming into 2020 when I know and some of you should know that their aim is not really towards 2020,” he stated at an NDC Cadres meeting in Kumasi

He added that “Because it is not easy to wrestle power from this person in their so-called mid-term strike but that natural drift could, may and will come possibly after 8 years. Meanwhile, you have secured 2020 out of the way for yourself, so you will be there knowing down well that you are just using it as a transit when you know 2024 is your target”

This may be a subtle criticism of John Mahama who after the 2016 elections seemed uninterested in leading the NDC but, has become its flagbearer.

The assertion of Mr Rawlings that he will be difficult to wrestle power from the New Patriotic Party( NPP) is supported by the fact that in the fourth republic since 1993, the NPP and NDC have only won power after 8 years in opposition.