Rawlings ‘Resurrects’ Nkensen Arkaah

By Margaret Jackson

The December 7, 2012 election will go down in history as the election full of intrigues and manipulations with JJ Rawlings playing the role of a deceitful dribbling mouse dribbling his way through three political parties namely the NDC, NPP and NDP. Never in the history of Ghana has there ever been or will there ever be such a confused character that goes by the name JJ Rawlings. Don’t be surprised if Rawlings wakes up on Sunday morning and informs Ghanaians that he was not at the NDP congress that was held in Kumasi last Saturday.

Ever since President Mills died, JJ Rawlings has become shifting political sand by changing the political goal post every second. His utterances keep changing and even though he has come out openly to support his wife’s flagbearership for the NDP, Rawlings does not seem to know where to place his foot. He seems to be everywhere and being blown apart by the wind. Indeed, he has turned himself into a rolling stone and as a result gathering no moss.

He says one thing today and does a different thing tomorrow. He will say today that the NDC spirit is back for them to win the election and in the next moment accuse its leadership of corruption and slam them. Rawlings will pledge today that he is still with the NDC but still invite Akufo-Addo to his house and beg him to be lenient with the NDC supporters when he wins the election. Again, Rawlings will say today that the NDC parliamentarians will coast to defeat only for him to say tomorrow that President Mahama has what it takes to win the election.

Ghana has gone that route before in its political history. When JJ Rawlings won the presidential election in 1992 his running mate was the late Mr. Kow Nkensen Arkaah, but it did not take long that control freak Rawlings fell out with Arkaah. But instead of resigning honourably, Arkaah also adopted a stubborn attitude and openly told Ghanaians that as a stubborn cat he will never resign the vice presidency.

During those frosty relationship between Rawlings and Arkaah which did not help the country that much, Arkaah openly defied Rawlings and the NDC by supporting the NPP. Things came to a head when Rawlings manhandled Arkaah at a cabinet meeting for being with the NDC and also being against the NDC. Arkaah was perceived to be a mole who was leaking cabinet secrets to the NPP and the press at the time.

Even those who loved and supported Arkaah felt that since he did not like Rawlings the best thing for him to do was to resign to prove a point, but for some strange reasons Arkaah soldiered on and the rest is history.

Today JJ Rawlings seems to have resurrected Arkaah and briskly walking in his shadows. Rawlings, who proudly claims to be the founder of the NDC, does not even know which party he supports or belongs today. To put it more blunt, JJ Rawlings has even surpassed Arkaah by supporting three parties, the NDC, NDP and the NPP as we head to the December polls. I bet Arkaah may be turning in his grave.

Like shifting sand, JJ Rawlings is suddenly for everything but also for nothing. He is for NPP but also for the NDC. He is for NDP but also for NDC. Don’t be worried if he comes tomorrow supporting the late Kow Nkensen Arkaah for President in the 2012 election.

The behavior of Rawlings is being taken lightly by many political pundits with some merely brushing it aside and saying that Rawlings will jump ship and come on board the NDC train at the last minute. Others including me have stated that Konadu Agyeman Rawlings is acting as the invisible manipulative hand behind the shifting political tendencies of Rawlings. But it goes further than that.

I want to state that Rawlings at this point does not seem to know what is happening to him. He lost it a while ago but many people missed it. That is why Rawlings today seems more confused than the word confused itself. Do you think that if Rawlings is in his right senses he will go to the NDP congress in Kumasi and claim that his wife will win the upcoming election only for him to claim three days later that President Mahama has what it takes to win the election? Do you think if Rawlings was on top of events he will even invite Akufo-Addo to his house and beg him to be lenient with NDC supporters if he wins the election?

Rawlings has become the dribbling mouse, going through three political parties with a confused state of mind and have no recollections of what he said yesterday, which is why the NDC should not take him serious going forward. JJ Rawlings should be left alone. He does not or will not bring anything to the table for the NDC at this point in time.

For three years and nine months, JJ Rawlings has not been with the NDC. He has been AWOL (Absent Without Leave). He has dabbled as the chief opposition leader hewing through the NDC every second. Therefore, with only two months to go to the polls, what will he bring to the NDC? Nothing! The NDC should block their ears and campaign on issues which will coast them to victory, because the presence of JJ Rawlings will not even help them.

But I beg readers to note what I am going to say. If NDC coasts to victory, shameless Rawlings will go about saying that his constant criticisms led the party to win. Mark my words!

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