Don’t prevent others from contesting Mahama – Kumbuor to NDC

The former Member of Parliament for Nandom, Dr. Benjamin Kumbuor, has advised the rank and file of the opposition National Democratic Congress to allow a level playing field for all presidential hopefuls in the party.

According to him, the NDC as a democratic party will be making a mistake if other flagbearer aspirants are prevented from contesting former President John Mahama.

“He has been a Vice President before; he has been a President before. Currently, he is a former President, so his statue looks different from all other entrants who might be coming, and particularly the media will definitely be more interested in him because they have interacted with him.

“That is what seems to show the prominence that he plays. But I am not sure, as a matter of politics with the NDC, that this prevents any other person in a democratic competitive election from coming up and expressing what they bring to the table. So let us not look at what individuals are saying, they are entitled to their own opinions, but the facts are out there for everybody to have his view,” the former Defense Minister told TV3.

He continued: “I think that everybody, in a democracy, is entitled to his views. As to whether that view is right or wrong is another matter.

“I guess that probably, people who are expressing that view are expressing it from their perspective and not necessarily because it reflected on the grounds. People need to look at John Mahama’s candidature in a completely different context.”

Dr. Kwabena Duffuor

The NDC, on June 6 2022, called off Dr. Kwabena Duffuor’s Ahotor project event scheduled to take place at the party’s Headquarters at Adabraka on June 7 2022, in Accra.

According to the party, the event was cancelled due to some disagreements.

Some NDC sympathizers and members across the country took to social media to express concerns over the development.

However, a press release signed by the General Secretary, John Aseidu Nketia, in response to an article by the Informer Newspaper, noted that the event was called off due to unsettled business between Dr. Duffuor and the party.

“A mutually acceptable agreement was reached at our FEC meeting last week, with Dr. Duffour in attendance, pursuant to which we scheduled the presentation of the Ahoto project items to the party for Tuesday, June 7 2022.

“The event was rescheduled because of certain issues raised subsequent to the final meeting by the donor with aspects of the agreement which required further deliberations and clearance by FEC,” the General Secretary explained.

But in a sharp rebuttal, former National Organizer of the NDC and Member of Dr. Kwabena Duffuor’s Ahotor Project Team, Yaw Boateng Gyan, stated that the National Chairman for the opposition National Democratic Congress, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, called off the project launch at the party’s Headquarters in Accra.

According to him, all was set for the event at the headquarters when the National Chairman, through the National Communications Officer Sammy Gyamfi, called to inform him that the relaunch had been put on hold.

“In the morning of Monday, June 6, 2022, while preparing for the relaunch on Tuesday, Sammy Gyamfi called me and delivered a message from the National Chairman, Hon. Ofosu Ampofo that the relaunch of the Ahotor has been put on hold.

“This was the last communication regarding the relaunch of the Ahotor Project with FEC,” the former NDC National Organizer explained in a statement.

He added, "We are still waiting for FEC official communication regarding the relaunch of the Ahotor Project.”