Politics of Monday, 26 April 2021
Source: www.ghanaweb.live
2021-04-26Timeline: How the joy of Bagbin's victory has been replaced with fights in NDC
Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin
Just when the National Democratic Congress appeared to have calmed the storm that rocked the otherwise smooth-sailing boat which was riding Bagbin’s speakership election, another violent wave has come to hit it.
The joy and unity brought by the historic victory chalked in Parliament on January 7 dissipated following the ‘unanimous’ defeat in court and the
Read full articleapproval en-masse of all of President Akufo-Addo’s ministerial nominations contrary to the wishes of the party's grassroots.
Sammy Gyamfi vs Minority Leadership and Bagbin
Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer of the party took on the leadership of the party’s caucus in Parliament and also lashed out at Alban Bagbin.
Speaker Bagbin and Minority Chief Whip Muntaka Mubarak hit back at Sammy Gyamfi, reminding him that parliament is a national platform and not a place for pursuing party agenda.
The friction triggered by this social media outburst was quickly resolved by the party, according to its General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia.
Ofori-Atta's approval and Ablakwa's resignation
The cracks were further deepened by the approval of Ken Ofori-Atta whose vetting was done late because he had to seek medical care in the United States.
In an interesting turn of events, North Tongu MP, Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa resigned from the Appointments Committee amid allegations of the leadership being compromised.
The reasons for ‘this difficult decision are both personal and on principle”, parts of his statement read.
On that same day, March 31, 2021 the leadership of the party met the entire minority caucus and the assurance was cool heads had prevailed and that the boat was sailing smoothly.
Allotey and Koku Anyidoho sacked/suspended
The two men who identify with the late Professor Mills have in separate interviews criticized the leadership of the party.
Their punishment for the vile attacks on the leadership is a dismissal of Allotey Jacobs and suspension of Koku Anyidoho.
The dismissal and suspension of Allotey Jacobs and Koku Anyidoho respectively looked to have silenced the ‘little noises’ from the disgruntled ‘Mills Boys’.
Cadres 'rise' against executives
It therefore seemed like all hatchets had been buried and the NDC was cruising coolly until last weekend.
While the party and its leadership were in the Volta Regional capital of Ho, some elements known as the United Cadres Front were also held a forum under the theme “Securing NDC’s Future”.
This stakeholders conference was according to Peter Boamah Otokunor without the knowledge or approval of the party’s executive and its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama.
“I don’t think it was an NDC forum. I don’t think they were doing anything in the interest or under the sanctions of the NDC leadership. I am speaking to you as the Deputy General Secretary of the NDC and I am telling you that we did not know about any forum. We didn’t sanction any such forum,” he told Joy News.
This comment by Otokunor attracted a reply from De Benjamin Kunbuor who was one of the main speakers at the forum.
“For the NEC there would be a conversation that is dealing with internal party matters but the conversation that was taking place in Tema was one of a very broad spectrum and with a panel who have quite some experience in terms of the history [of the party].
“So we thought that yes, by all means, let the NEC do what they are doing. And as we await NEC, there are many lines of conversation that can take place all geared towards positioning the party for the future. And one is not just talking about only the future of 2024; that’s a very limited agenda,” he said.
Post that conference, Dr Kunbuor has launched a number of attacks on the NDC leadership, slamming them for engaging in trivialities and also laughing off their criticisms.
He also challenged the party to make public the figures they claim to have collated from the 2020 elections.
“Immediately after the elections, results were coming, we started seeing figures. For the ordinary party member, you said we had won the elections through the figures and collation that the party had done, why is it that those figures did not find their way to the court…"
Ade Coker, a former chairman of the Greater Accra Regional chapter of the party has fired back at Kunbuor.
“Have you seen the NPP coming out to announce to the whole world the numbers they made? No, we have a system. People must respect party structures…People who have had the privilege of being ministers of state, contesting elections will go to the public and behave this way. They have had the privilege of serving high positions so they should know better.
“The interview you were playing on your station has caused a lot of ripples everywhere. But if serial callers were doing that, that is fine but if an elderly person like him wants to know, he knows what to do. Dr Benjamin KunbuorKumbour knows what to do. He is just like anybody in the party. Look don’t let us assign titles to everybody. Everybody in the NDC whether you are a footsoldier, we are all the same people. So, one person cannot make the party. So, we should always think about the collective and not about our individual self,” he said on Joy News.
Koku renews attack on Mahama
Meanwhile, Koku Anyidoho is also challenging the party’s claim that they have suspended him.
He also made some wild allegations against John Dramani Mahama over his relationship with the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills.
"Nobody has suspended me from the NDC so please stop making a nuisance of your news portals by referring to me as being suspended from the NDC," he said in an April 17, 2021 tweet.
