A senior Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Stephen Ahiawodor has insisted that the founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John Rawlings is still relevant to the party.
According to him, the NDC was built on his ideals, hence his influence on the party is intact.
His comment follows Jerry John Rawlings’ endorsement of some candidates who were contesting for positions in the Greater Accra Region but eventually lost.
[contextly_sidebar id=”kze45tZ0yrhYmY3BG1E8sDNpxz9lB9JX”]The former president endorsed Stephen Akwetey for the Chairmanship position in the region, but after the election on Saturday, the incumbent chairman, Ade Coker retained the position.
Some party members and political watchers feel the former President is losing control of the party.
However, speaking on the Eyewitness News on Monday, Stephen Ahiawodor argued that, “Jerry John Rawlings is a very big personality in the party. He is a former president. What this means is that he has a very big ear, he listens to people, people go to him, he has been in charge of security of this country, political and everything and so he is privy to certain information and happenings within the party, within other parties and within the country.”
“So for him, he has a fairer idea about the people he thinks can manage the affairs of the party….I will say that he was just alerting the delegates,” he stated.
The former president in a recent interview on Eyewitness News predicted that the NDC risks losing the 2016 elections because according to him “…this[Mahama] government is certainly not going to earn us the political office in 2016. At this stage, we[NDC] are bound to lose.”
According to Mr. Rawlings, the John Mahama led administration is no more attractive because the rank and file of the NDC have lost their integrity and confidence.
But the lecturer further explained that “the delegates are the people that determine who should manage the affairs of the party; that right the constitution vest in the delegates.”
Earlier one of the defeated aspiring chairmen of the NDC in the Region, Daniel Amartey blamed his defeat on what he described as corrupt activities that happened during the election.
Commenting on the issue, Stephen Ahiawodor said “when issues like having to influence delegates unduly begin to rear their head, as has been the allegation in the recent election, that is unfortunate. It defeats the principles upon which the party was built, it defeats the principles Jerry John Rawlings has espoused over the years.”
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By: Godwin Allotey Akweiteh/citifmonline.com/Ghana