According to him, although the former president did not take his comments lightly initially, he later accepted and appreciated them.

[contextly_sidebar id=”Zj5weJbBR8A4hX7I5kkfrekNaUnT5Jtw”]Alban Bagbin, who is one of Ghana’s longest-serving MPs, has been accused by some members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), of being one of the people responsible for the 2016 election loss of the John Mahama government.

They said Bagbin’s open criticism of the incumbent government was of malicious intent, and made it unpopular hence the loss. But reacting to the claims on Eyewitness News, Alban Bagbin said his criticisms of the John Mahama government was out of the genuine interest in the development of the country.

He said he had similarly criticized former Presidents including Jerry John Rawlings, John Evans Atta-Mills and John Kufuor openly on issues he disagreed with them over.

“It is not just former President Mahama that I have criticized. It doesn’t show that I criticize to destroy, I criticize to improve. I believe strongly that even though the former president did not take kindly to those criticisms, he took it in good faith later and made revisions on some of his stance and it helped improve governance….We worked harmoniously, we did a lot of things together until we lost power in 2016. Even during the campaign, I was in touch with him,” he said.

Alban Bagbin added that, it will be false to say that his relationship with John Mahama had grown bitter due to his criticisms.

He said, “I rather played a part in strengthening his [Mahama] governance. It is not only the criticism of some conduct that I made as far back as 2013. I did support him in many ways to improve on governance.”

At an event to celebrate his 25th year in Ghanaian politics, the Nadoli/Kaleo legislator declared to journalists that his presidential ambitions were “as clear as daylight.”

He said he considers himself a notch above all the other persons who have been touted as potential flagbearers, including former Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekow Spio-Garbrah, and former National Health Insurance Scheme CEO, Sylvester Mensah.

“I stand tall amongst those who have come out so far. There is none of them… who doesn’t admire my leadership because I have led all of them in politics,” he said.

Many have said his open declaration of interest to contest for the flagbearership position is only to frustrate former president John Mahama who many believe will contest in the party’s primaries ahead of election 2020.

–

By: Jonas Nyabor/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post I didn’t criticize Mahama to destroy him – Bagbin appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.

Speaking at an event to celebrate his 25th year in Ghanaian politics, Mr. Bagbin said his presidential ambitions were “as clear as daylight.”

[contextly_sidebar id=”FA0FDhADPh7aQcvs5SotzasihwjSzH8z”]Mr. Bagbin said he considers himself a notch above all the other persons who have been touted as potential flagbearers, including former Minister of Trade and Industry, Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, and former National Health Insurance Scheme CEO, Sylvester Mensah.

“I stand tall amongst those who have come out so far. There is none of them… who doesn’t admire my leadership because I have led all of them in politics,” Ghana’s longest serving MP said.

Mr. Bagbin once announced his intentions to run for president on the NDC’s ticket in 2008, but never stood for the primaries.

“It is very clear to everybody who is watching the political arena that honorable Bagbin has presidential ambitions. Together with the NDC, we will take the decision as to who will lead us in 2020.”

For the possible detractors, the MP reminded that there was a time he had two former presidents under his wing.

“The current President, my good friend Nana, is aware that from 1997 to 2000, the committee he actually showed his mettle was the committee on Constitutional and Legal and Parliamentary Affairs, and I was the Chair and he was my ranking member,” he recalled.

“…If honorable John Dramani Mahama passed through my hands and he was a vice or he was President, how can he or any other person say the person who mentored and trained him is not qualified to be president?” the MP quizzed further.

Mahama would’ve won if NDC took my advice – Bagbin

Alban Bagbin believes former president John Mahama could have easily won the 2016 election if he and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), had listened to his advice.

Speaking to Citi News, Mr. Bagbin explained that, all the advice he gave to the former president and the National Democratic Congress were ignored.

“…I think the election defeat is a useful lesson that we have learned as a party and many of the elders and senior members of the party have come to me to say that if they had listened to my early signals about the way things were going, we might not have been in opposition.”

–

By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana

The post I stand tall among all potential NDC flagbearers – Bagbin appeared first on Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. Always.