The Spokesperson for GAME, Barbara Asamoah, told The Chronicle in an interview yesterday that Nana Konadu and Spio Garbrah’s campaign teams were only making noise in the media, and that President Mills would win massively at the congress.
According to her, even before President Mills went to the party headquarters to pick up forms, the majority of the delegates had already declared their support for him, and that it would be fantasy for anyone to believe that the President would not receive an overwhelming endorsement from the delegates, who they are in constant touch with.
Barbara noted that though the founder of the party, Mr. Jerry John Rawlings, had declared support for his wife, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, GAME members do not care a hoot, knowing very well that the delegates are discerning enough, and would vote according to their conscience.
She contended that ‘if Nana Konadu thinks she can win at the congress, then how much more the President, who is more popular.’
The GAME Spokesperson claimed the campaign team of the former first lady was finding it difficult to get the support of the delegates, and instead of coming back to Accra to brief her about the development, they rather feed her with all sorts of information, including claims that GAME was splashing money on the delegates.
Barbara dismissed suggestions that the NDC would collapse if the current bickering that has characterised the campaign for the election of the flagbearer continues. She contended that the National Reform Party (NRP), headed by Mr. Goosie Tanoh, and the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), led by Dr. Obed Asamoah, all broke away from the NDC at a point in time, but that did not lead to the demise of the party.
She, however, appealed to the Konadu and Spio Garbrah campaign teams to be mindful of their utterances, because whoever wins at the congress would need the support of the others to move the party forward.
According to her, President Mills, who is sure to win the elections, was determined to reunite all the factions in the party after the congress, to have a united front to contest the 2012 elections.
Background
The campaign leading to the NDC congress in Sunyani has been characterised by bitterness among the contending parties. At a point in time, Mr. Herbert Mensah, a close friend of the Rawlingses, alleged that he had listened to a tape where some people were heard saying that President Mills would use a whopping GH¢90 million on his campaign.
The President has denied the charge, and instructed the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) to conduct investigations into the allegation.
The BNI subsequently, invited Mr. Herbert Mensah for interrogation, but the latter reportedly told the BNI that the tape was with ex-President Rawlings. The security agency is yet to determine whether to contact the former President for the tape, or not.
The latter has also not commented on the issue. He has, however, declared his intention to drop some bombs on June 4th, this year.
Just yesterday, Joy FM reported that armed robbers had attacked the Kumasi Mayor, Mr. Samuel Sarpong. The report quoted sources close to the Minister as saying that the robbery was the handiwork of some members of ‘Friends for Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings’ (FONKAR), who had earlier alleged on radio that GH¢30million out of the reported GH¢90 million campaign money had been given to him.
Attempts made by The Chronicle correspondent in Kumasi to seek clarification from the Mayor proved futile, as he failed to pick up his calls.
Kofi Adams reaction
Mr. Kofi Adams, spokesperson for Mr. Rawlings, has, meanwhile, rejected claims by GAME that the delegates were not supportive of Nana Konadu’s endorsement, and that they were feeding the former first lady with wrong information.
According to Adams, if the delegates had rejected the flagbearer aspirant, she would not have resigned from her position as the First Vice Chairperson of the party to contest the elections.
He wondered why President Mills’ camp decided to form GAME, if they did not see Nana Konadu as a threat. Kofi Adams further told this reporter that candidate Konadu herself had gone round, and had seen the massive support she was enjoying from the delegates.
According to him, because Nana Konadu was going to win the election, GAME had engaged in a psychological warfare with the delegates, but that plan would not work.
He noted that people who claimed to be suffering from spinal problems when the party was in opposition, have all of the sudden become healed, and going round to campaign for the President, but it would still not save the latter from defeat.
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