The Greater Accra Region chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress has mounted a robust defence of the decision of NDC Chairmen to back former President John Mahama’s second-term bid.
In defending the decision by the ten regional chairmen to ask ex-president John Mahama to consider leading the party to the 2020 general elections, Ade Coker who leads the party in the Greater Accra Region says the critics are lending credence to Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s mantra that members of the opposition party do not read.
Background
On Thursday ten regional chairmen of the opposition NDC issued a communique after meeting with ex-president John Mahama.
The communique had two major requests of the ex-president with the ten chairmen appending their signatures to it.
They “Invited the former president to, as a matter of urgency, embark on the delayed and much awaited “Thank you tour” to the supporters of the NDC for supporting him through his tenure and the party over the years.
“Called on HE John Dramani Mahama to consider the request of teeming supporters of the NDC and Ghanaians to lead the party to the 2020 General elections.”
But the Communique has triggered some controversy within the party with some party members of the party as well some flagbearer aspirants insisting the call by the chairmen will give an unfair advantage to the ex-president.
Former Member of Parliament for Ablekuma Central, Theophilus Tetteh Chaie said the call by the chairmen was misplaced and in bad taste.
“We have regional chairmen whose conduct has made the party lose several seats in some of the regions. Greater Accra Region is part of it. Central Region is part of it.
“This is the time for the regional chairmen to sit down and assess what led to the defeat in these regions and help reorganize the regions.
“People should not behave as if they love the former president more than any member of the party,” he stressed.
He would rather the party structures concentrated on building a formidable party rather than throwing its weight behind one candidate.
“Let us restructure the party at the grassroots and then the people themselves will come out and choose their leader. What we are trying to do is we are trying to shut the door on others who have intentions to contest.
“Nobody should be fighting for the former president,” he said. But Ade Coker says their communique is not an endorsement of the ex-president and charged critics to take their reading lessons seriously.
“The communique is explicit. I don’t know why we are making a hue and cry over all this thing. People should read. We make Bawumia have some justification. People are not reading,” the Chairman said.
He explained as part of the Regional meeting every quarter which addresses the concerns of party members they decided to issue a communique about a concern which some members have and the best person to meet was the person the communique was about.
He downplayed suggestions the intent of the meeting with the ex-president was to endorse his candidature.
Bawumia is justified! NDC people don't read – Ade Coker
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