Ethnic considerations forced me to withdraw from NDC Chairmanship race - Huudu Yahya

Former Vice Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alhaji Huudu Yahaya says said he was pressurized by the top hierarchy of the party to withdraw from the chairmanship race at the just ended congress of the party.

In a statement, Mr. Yahaya, confirmed reports that senior figures in the NDC put him under intense pressure, compelling him to pull out of the race.

Huudu Yahaya was in the chairmanship race with three others including defeated Chairman Dr Kwabena Agyei but pulled out just before voting started.

He  said in the statement that, “at the peak of my campaign there were reports making rounds that top hierarchy of the party was impressing upon me to step down from the race for reasons best known to them.''  

In explaining the reason for his withdrawal, the former NDC General Secretary said “One of the reasons as many of you have heard was that, if I am elected National Chairman of NDC, together with the president and flagbearer, would be the two topmost leaders of the party from the same region. This is something those in opposition to my candidacy saw as being interpreted as a hijack of the party by Northerners.'' 

According to him, the contest was not an ''all die be die affair'' and that the party's interest remained paramount. 

He noted that, he is satisfied with the decision taken and is ready to bring his knowledge and expertise to bear on the work of current executives to restructure the party and to ensure a resounding victory for the NDC in 2016. 

Meanwhile, a Political Scientist at the University of Ghana, Dr. Ransford Gyampo has dismissed the reasons cited by Mr Yahaya for his decision to withdraw from the race.

He explained that, “I would find it difficult to believe that he was really impressed upon to step down because…I'm sure that Huudu Yahaya may have examined his chances in taking the decision he took.”

The Political Scientist said “John Mahama is a northerner and him being an aspiring Chairman from the North wasn't really the issue because we all know if he was winning he wouldn't have stepped down. In the lead up to their congress, we read that majority of the delegates in the Northern region had actually endorsed the candidature of Kofi Portuphy who is not a northerner.”

This, according to Mr. Gyampo must have signaled to the experienced politician that he was heading for a defeat, therefore the politically wise thing to do was to step down.