Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah has laughed at political pundits and commentators who have predicted that he will eventually throw in the towel at the last minute of the NDC’s presidential race, presumably to support Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings’ bid.
Dr. Garbrah, who resigned as a Vice Chairman of the NDC to contest the flagbearership race, is considered a close ally of the former President and NDC Founder Jerry John Rawlings, whose wife is seeking to unseat President Mills as the leader of the NDC.
Political pundits have questioned why two personalities from the same camp would want to vie against one candidate if indeed they have individual ambitions.
Given the commonality of their roots, one of them will likely pull out and support the other against President Mills, who is seen as a ‘heavy weight’, the pundits opine.
However, Dr. Spio-Garbrah, who arrived in Ghana from the UK on Monday May 16 to officially begin his presidential campaign, told the Host of the Citi Breakfast Show, Bernard Avle, that he will complete the race.
The one time Communication and Education Minister wondered why people would want to doubt his decision to contest, when he had done so in 2006.
“I have picked up nomination forms and I am in the process of getting endorsements and signatures for it. Why should there be uncertainties about my intentions? In 2006, was there any uncertainty about my intentions? So if five years ago I was a contestant for the leadership of the party for potential presidency of Ghana and five years later there is another opportunity and I am knocking on the same door, it surprises me that my intentions should be questioned by anybody. But it’s okay! Its fine for people to speculate. There is nothing wrong with it” he said.
According him, in 2006, contrary to similar “funny speculations”, party Founder Mr. Rawlings gave his support to then candidate Mills and not him.
“The Founder didn’t support me at all, rather (he supported) President Mills. And that is the main reason in my judgement why President Mills won by that margin in 2006. So if he (Mr. Rawlings) is supporting someone else on this occasion, it won’t be different from my experience in 2006 either. President Rawlings’ support in my judgment has always been a very important factor for whoever wins an NDC leadership struggle. But there are those who believe that now he is not a force to reckon with”.
Dr. Garbrah said he is contesting the race not because he is totally unhappy about President Mills’ performance, but because the opportunity is available for all eligible people to contest.
Dr Spio-Gabrah, who is the Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization, said unlike Mrs. Rawlings, he is not a first-timer in the race, adding that the former First Lady’s motives differ from his, and therefore wondered at assertions in some quarters that he should not have contested because Nana Konadu is contesting.
He said the argument that a sitting President should not be challenged within his own party in his first term is undemocratic.
“I wouldn’t say that simply because we are going to have a Congress and simply because we have a sitting President that involves factionalism. If the sitting President does not want people to contest with him, there are many things that he can do to prevent others from contesting him. And President Kufuor showed the way in 2004 when by whatever means he managed his potential opponents within his own party, nobody came and contested him. Quite clearly, the current administration did not want any contest. They knew what they had to do but they chose not to do that” Dr. Garbrah said.
He reiterated the need to unite the party before and after the Congress to avoid a possible implosion.
Dr. Garbrah will be paying a courtesy call on Mr. Rawlings on Tuesday May 17,to inform him of his decision to contest the NDC’s presidential primaries, and also announce his arrival in the country.
Source: Citifmonline.com
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