Fallout from the on-going ‘Unity Walk’: NDC in disarray?

Former President John Mahama at one of the 'Unity Walk'

The centre cannot hold for the opposition National Democratic Congress [NDC], Ghana’s biggest opposition party, over the arrangements aimed at uniting the rank and file of the party ahead of its congress next year.

While five of the party’s aspirants, Hon.Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Dr. Ekow Spio Garbrah, Prof. Joshua Alabi, Sylvester Mensah and Stephen Atubiga are angry over the clandestine moves by some of the national executives to prop the former President, John Dramani Mahama over them, the National Chairman of the party, Kofi Portuphy and the National Organiser, Kofi Adams are also at each other’s throat.

The other five aspirants are of the view that, the 2016 flag bearer of the party and former President, John Mahama, is being marketed over them in a deliberate agenda crafted by the Kofi Adams faction of national executives, all in an attempt to aid him to have an edge over them.

This development, a national executive member told The new independent, has divided the national party into factions of, pro and anti Mahama , at all levels, starting from the Ward, Constituency, Regional and ending at the National level.

As a consequence of this development, the other five aspirants of the party, who feel sidelined, have decided to withdraw from the participation in the unity walks of the party, which is aimed at uniting the party and touching base with the grassroots of the party.

The unity walks are aimed at energizing the grassroots of the party as part of on-going efforts towards rebuilding the party as recommended by the Professor Kwesi Botchwey Committee; the report.

The New Independent has also learnt that the national executives’ front has been broken into two factions, a development that has seen the national chairman, Kofi Portuphy always sidelined in favour of Kofi Adams, the National Organizer, our source has said.

The National Chairman, our source also said, have lamented and complained about the agenda of sidelining him, indicating that, as the national chairman, he is the leader of the party, who must take the centre stage in all activities of the party.

But he lamented that, he is always sidelined and has cited instances where he had been prevented from making an address at the unity walks of the party.

“Instead former President Mahama is always given the platform to make statements and to address the gathering, and I think this is not good enough, Mr. Portuphy is said to have complained at one of the party’s national executive committee meetings.

But Kofi Adams yesterday rebutted the claim, stating that, there is no deliberate agenda to sideline the party chairman, explaining that, the unity walks have a different character from the normal party activities which are to be presided over by the national chairman.