Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings would not be impeded in her quest to seek the presidential nomination of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the Today has gathered ahead of a crunch party meeting today.
‘Today’ has it on authority that at its last meeting on 25th January, 2011 the leadership of the NDC agreed that the former First Lady has every legitimate right to contest the NDC presidential primary late this year.
Perhaps the previous apprehension expressed was on the timing of the display of Nana Konadu posters and others paraphernalia.
In arriving at the decision, party chiefs took cognizance of the obvious panic and fear that backroom staff or backers of the Konadu candidature are causing in the NDC with the mounting of billboards and posters of the former First Lady and that the fears could only be allayed, if they asked Konadu to come clear with her intentions.
High on the agenda for today’s meeting will be the decision by the National Executive Committee (NEC) to sort out modalities for the party’s presidential nomination. The meeting is expected to be attended by party leader, John Evans Atta Mills, and founder and former President, Jerry John Rawlings.
A non-executive but influential member of the party and an ardent backer of the Mills’ camp hinted ‘Today’ that the meeting will offer Professor Mills, perhaps the ultimate opportunity to tell the party’s rank and file whether he will seek another shot at the NDC presidential nomination.
Indications are that a “No Response” from the president is likely open the Pandora Box, where many NDC bigwigs who believe their candidature was likely to be interpreted as a betrayal of their leader would be bold enough to stake a claim to the NDC presidential candidacy.
The party insider dropped hints about party bigwigs including Mr. Kwesi Ahwoi, the Minister of Food and Agriculture; Dr. Benjamin Kunbuor, the Interior Minister; Minster of Local Government, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo; Hon. Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin; Minster of Water Resources, Works and Housing will be queuing up, should the Mills candidature be floundering.
Today gathered that the meeting – branded by some political watchers as “make or break” for the NDC-would witness heavy military presence to ward-off any nasty fallout of the meeting, and also to prevent party followers who are bent on causing mayhem if the outcome of the meeting does not go in their favour.
It is however believed that influential members including the National Chairman, Dr. Kwabena Adjei, Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah, Kofi Adams and a host of others are part of the hard-line group who are wishing the President bows out gracefully to avoid a possible Konadu drubbing at the NDC primary. “I would not be surprised should people like Kwabena Adjei, Kofi Adams and Spio Garbrah go on their knees to thank God, if the President should say he would not contest again,” the source stated.
The two-year-old government of President Mills has seen party followers, including Jerry John Rawlings and Dr. Spio Garbrah publicly criticizing it for low performance and indecisiveness.
Source: Today