body-container-line-1
14.01.2008 Feature Article

"ATTA MILLS IS NOT FIT FOR PRESIDENT" - RAWLINGS

ATTA MILLS IS NOT FIT FOR PRESIDENT - RAWLINGS
14.01.2008 LISTEN

The founder of the largest opposition party in the country, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings has turned the boom heat on his own party. This time round, he is calling for the rejection of the flagbearer of his party, Prof. Mills in the December 2008 elections.

A visit that was supposedly aimed at resolving a conflict in an embattled constituency took a different turn when the notorious boom speaker deviated from what was expected of him, to launch missiles at the newly elected flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo Addo, calling him a thief, among others.

As if the above attacks on the NPP flagbearer was not enough for him for the day, he told party executives and sympathisers gathered at the Akwatiahene's palace not to vote for his party's Deputy General Secretary, and one of the party's most avid speakers and propagandists, Baba Jamal.

Although uncharacteristic of him, as he could not mention Jamal by name this time round, the former President and founder of the NDC held the hand of the other contender, Obeng Darko, and entreated voters to vote for him in the just-ended primaries of the party which Jamal won overwhelmingly. The shocked, talkative Jamal could not be his usual self when called into a private radio station to state his reaction to the move of his boss akin to the infamous Swedru Declaration.

What is of more interest to me are the reasons adduced by the former president for his choice, viz, they should elect someone who can win the elections for the party and not one who on two occasions had failed to deliver the Akwatia seat to the NDC.

Eh!!! Since when did the NDC and its founder become aware of this? Have they forgotten that the leader and flagbearer of their party has lost on three previous occasions (two main ones and a second round).

Ghanaian electorate, these people have dug their own graves and must be buried in them. They have been honest, at least for once, to admit that they have lost the elections in advance because they are after all presenting to us a candidate who they know is unfit for the Presidency.

Is it perhaps in a bid to prove to his boss that he can equally unleash unguarded arsenals that he has started raising credibility questions about elections that he personally conceded as having lost, and is now sounding war bells. This is, albeit, infantile, unfortunate, irresponsible, and reprehensible.

He can however be pardoned as these might have contributed to his two previous losses for which his commander is tacitly calling on Ghanaians to reject him for once again. Prof., sorry, but this is your own founder talking. Will you do the honourable thing by throwing in the towel and asking your party to come up with a winnable candidate?

KOBLA NUVIADENU.

body-container-line