Rawlings Invites Nana Konadu To Return To NDC

Ex-President Jerry John Rawlings has passionately invited former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyeman- Rawlings, to return to the National democratic Congress (NDC, where he says Nana Konadu truly belongs. 'Nana Konadu, come back home,' the NDC founder entreated with joy to the excitement of the thousands of NDC delegates that had converged on the Baba Yara Sports Stadium on Saturday.

Mr. Rawlings, who was addressing the NDC delegates during the party's national delegates' congress to elect party executives stated, 'I hope she can hear us, I hope she can see us.'

Even before the former Ghanaian leader could conclude his statement, the overjoyed delegates of the ruling political party, in unison shouted with joy, indicating that they were happy about their founder's call.

All the NDC members at the historic event, including President John Dramani Mahama and his vice as well as Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur, were seen nodding their heads in approval.

Mr. Rawlings paused for a moment for the joyful noise to subside after which he added rhetorically, 'But can you blame her?' perhaps to indicate that the ex-first lady was justified to leave the party.

An obviously happy looking NDC founder entreated Nana Konadu to let sleeping dogs lie by returning to her roots, urging the leadership of the NDC to try to woo Nana Konadu back to the party.

Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings is noted for her invaluable roles and efforts, especially during the formative years of the NDC, as a political party in the early1990s.

She was at that time seen as untouchable after her husband's party had won the 1992 and 1996 national elections.

Her untouchable status in the party, however, started to fade off gradually after the NDC was toppled by the New Patriotic Party (NPP)during the 2000 elections.

In 2011, she contested the then sitting President John Evans Atta Mills for the NDC flagbearer position.

At the party's congress held in the Brong-Ahafo Regional capital of Sunyani, Nana Konadu Agyeman- Rawlings suffered an embarrassing defeat as she managed to pole only three percent of the total votes cast.

From then on, other issues in the party, which Nana Konadu didn't feel comfortable with, played a role in her decision to leave the NDC to form the National Democratic Party (NDP.)

She was willing to contest for the presidential seat in 2012 but her ambitions were thwarted at the eleventh hour as the Electoral Commission (EC) strangely disqualified the NDP from the race.

However, the NDP was not invited by the NDC to solidarise with it during last Saturday's congress

FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr & Ernest Kofi Adu, K'si