PRESS RELEASE
FOCUS ON NDC FLAGBEARER FOR 2024
Views of Members
Caucus for Democratic Governance, Ghana (CDG-GH), after series of interviews and discussions with some members of NDC ( grassroots, branches constituencies chiefs and leadership) has come to the conclusion, that a winning team cannot be changed.
Flagbearer
In 2022, the NDC National Congress will be held to elect Party leadership and Flagbearer. Possible outstanding NDC members, likely to contest as Flagbearer are Prof Joshua Alabi, Dr Ekow Spio Garbrah, Hon A.K.S. Bagbin, Dr Kumbour, Dr Kwabena Duffour, Dr Gusie Tandor and former President John Dramani Mahama. These, and many others, are all NDC members with character, repute and experience.
JM and NDC
During the last NDC National Congress election in 2019, Flagbearer candidate, H.E John Mahama pulled 95% of the votes. The other candidates had to share among themselves the remaining 5%. The reason is simple. The significant number of times H.E John Mahama has campaigned through the length and breadth of Ghana as flag bearer candidate and as the presidential candidate makes him outstanding.
His vast experience in the political arena (as Assemblyman, Parliamentarian, Minister, Vice President, President and International appointments at ECOWAS, AU and UN}, have all laid bare his tenacity, fighting spirit and strength of character. Your new accolade: “ JM the nation builder”, makes you a man of choice. He is one of the few whose charisma can pull undecided (or neutral) voters to NDC during elections. Under his leadership, NDC did extremely very well in the 2020 elections. In spite of arm twisting, we increased our parliamentary seats to 137. After the election, JM was declared the winner by NPP General Secretary; but for the wrong declaration by EC chair, Jane Mensa, we would have been in the Flagstaff House.
Marketing Mahama
In my opinion, it will be easier to market H.E John Mahama to the voters than any of the other candidates, because he has travelled the length and breadth of Ghana many times. Many voters out of familiarity now call him JM. He has more funs than possibly any of his contestants. Above all, Ghanaians have victory bonuses and sympathy towards those who have lost twice and are still in the race for the third time.
This is not to suggest that we go to sleep. We are called upon to work harder- “Do or Die”, is the motto. Akufo Addo still has his dishonest EC chair, Jane Mensah, who cares less about neutrality, fairness and credibility.
4TH Republic Voting Structure
A study of the 4th Republic presidential voting structure shows a definite pattern. A pattern with two defeats followed by a victory. The only one who did not taste two defeats was late JJ Rawlings because he was the founder of the 4th Republic. Below is the pattern.
The pattern is as follows :
President 1st Defeat 2nd Defeat ! st Victory/2nd Victory
JJ Rawlings —– —– 1992 / 1996
Agyekum Kufuor 1992 1996 2000 / 2004
Prof Atta Mills 2000 2004 2008 /—–
John Mahama —– —— 2012
Akufo Addo 2008 2012 2016 / 2020
John Mahama 2016 2020 2012/(2024)
Table 1: Former President John Dramani Mahama, as a result of his defeats in 2016 and 2020 has now tasted two defeats and is bound to win 2024. It is now time for his victory with the support of the Spirit of the 4th Republic.
Our Forefather
Our forefathers in their wisdom felt that a party member who is elected at three different times at Party Congress, as Flagbearer, has the confidence of Party members. In addition to this party internal elections, anyone who enters the National Flagbearer race to become President must first suffer two defeats. The only exception is late JJ Rawlings, the Initiator of the 4th Republic. It is an obligation, therefore, that anyone who comes into the national flag bearer race will have to lose twice before the victory. Unless the convex to this principle of explanation is established, we will have to accept this hypothesis. It is therefore prudent to get H.E John Mahama to contest, now that he has lost twice to Nana Addo; opening his way to victory 2024.
It is worth knowing, that late JJ Rawlings changed his running mate before winning the second term and late Prof Mills changed his running mate before his first victory.
Wisdom
A wise man once reminded mankind that : “2/3 of what we see, is what we do not see”. It is therefore important to consider political strategies, solid campaigns as well as Spiritual obligations of the 4th Republic. The Spiritual desire of the 4th Republic was to prevent coups, that had crippled the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Republics. With 10 coups, to our credit, Ghana has one of the highest numbers of coups in Africa. The forefathers thought it was time to introduce a pattern that would make coups unattractive. Ghana has two major Parties. If one Party`s presidential candidate is elected thrice at Congress; if he looses twice as the presidential candidate and wins two terms as President, followed by a change of Party, then prosperity In harmony will follow Ghana. That was the mindset of our forefathers who initiated the 4th Republic. It would be recalled that the late JJ Rawlings, in some of his last speeches asked NDC leadership to concentrate on the 2024 elections.
Conclusion
The probability of JM winning the 2024 election is higher than that of any other candidate. In the interest of the Unity of our Great Party, let us support H.E John Mahama. I pray and hope that the other candidates would show leadership, wisdom and commitment to our dear Party by accepting H.E John Mahama as NDC flag bearer for 2024. We urge all in the Spirit of our Great Party to fight together to win the 2024 election.
Dr E.K. Hayford,
Executive Director, CDG-GH
0277606338 /0243609277
