Spio-Garbrah rejects Rawlingses NDP; cautions NDC on sympathy votes

Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah

Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, a man many political analysts have tipped to likely bear the flag of the yet to be certified National Democratic Party (NDP), has stated emphatically that he is a fully-blooded member of the ruling NDC; and has rejected the slightest chance of flirting with any other party - for now.

Dr Spio-Garbrah had never hidden his disapproval of certain persons in leadership positions in government under the watch of the late President Atta Mills. The former presidential aspirant of the NDC fell foul of many decisions and appointments of Prof. Mills, and once accused the latter of “surrounding himself with team B players”.

As an ally of the former first couple, Rawlingses, who also accused the Mills-led government of same, many have thought he would join the bandwagon of the splinter party, NDP, formed under the aegis of the Rawlingses and being chaired by a former General Secretary of the NDC Dr Josiah Aryeh.

But speaking on Metro TV's flagship programme Good Evening Ghana Thursday on a wide range of issues, Dr Spio-Garbrah was emphatic that he holds his political allegiance to only the NDC.

“My God,” he exclaimed when host of the show Paul Adom-Otchere asked if he Spio-Grabrah would vote for President Mahama in the December 7 elections, “Can you consider any other party or individual I ought to vote for? I am a member of the NDC; or you know me to be a member of any other party? ... I have played my role in building a very strong party, there is no reason why I should [not vote for the party].”

Sympathy votes
Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah who resigned his position as a Vice Chairman of the NDC to contest the party's presidential election in 2006 counseled the president against putting his hopes on the demise of Prof. Atta Mills, if he wants to coast to victory in the December general elections.

“How many sympathy votes are you going to get? It is not easy to estimate sympathy votes, and why would you be banking on sympathy votes?”

He said the average Ghanaian would vote on “fundamental reasons” such as good education, quality healthcare, internal and personal security, accessible roads, promising economy among others.

Every thumb
Urging the party to embark on a “mutual forgiveness” to forge ahead, he also noted that it behoves President Mahama to ensure that the “unity [which] eluded President Mills” due to actions of persons around him is achieved to win the party the upcoming elections.

Dr Spio-Grabrah considered it as “desirable” for President Mahama to recall the likes of Josiah Aryeh who are now rooted in the NDP into the folds of the NDC.

“If you think every thumb is important, that is the principle: if you think every thumb is important then you treat every thumb as important, but if you disregard some thumbs then they will go somewhere else.”

He touted robust economic growth as one of Prof. Mills' overlooked achievements. He noted that in 2011 “Ghana became the fastest running country in economy development in the world, achieving 14 percent GDP growth.”