The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Ade Coker, has said that asking former President John Mahama to consider putting himself up for the 2020 elections, is not the same as endorsing his candidature for the race.
Mr. Ade Coker, who is part of the ten regional NDC Chairmen who appended their signatures to a communiqué issued after a meeting, defended their statement in an interview on Eyewitness News.
Speaking on Eyewitness News on Thursday, Ade Coker argued that, their call is not an endorsement of John Mahama’s candidature and should not be seen as such.
“He [John Mahama] is a party member and we asked him to consider [leading the NDC in 2020 election] just like when we call on other people who are interested, we will tell them the same thing. We have not asked him to go and contest, we just asked him to go and consider. It’s simple as that,” he explained.
The ten Chairmen in the brief communiqué after visiting the former President, also asked him to embark on a ‘Thank You Tour’, although belated, with the aim of helping in the party’s reconciliatory and healing process.
Prior to that, John Mahama had told party supporters at the party’s unity walk in Cape Coast, that a decision as to whether or not he would contest was immature, since it could affect the party’s ongoing re-organisation agenda.
Some observers have interpreted the call as a subtle move to endorse John Mahama’s candidature ahead of the party’s flagbearership election in December 2018.
But Ade Coker insisted on Eyewitness News that, “When we say he should consider, we are not pushing him to the wall to go and declare himself. No!” he insisted.
,It’s not time for campaigning
The Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the NDC has however warned members of the party seeking to contest for various offices in its upcoming polls in 2018, to desist from vilifying other potential candidates.
The FEC reminded party faithfuls that “internal electoral processes that allow members to engage in campaign and other political activities had not yet been officially launched.”
“The FEC notes with extreme concern the tenor of some of these individuals in their public pronouncements. Equally, FEC notes with concern the conduct of some persons and groups affiliated to these aspirants at all levels. We have observed that some potential aspirants and their followers have resorted to insults, and vilification of potential contestants. This abuse takes place, at times in a highly toxic manner on social media and sections of the media,” a statement signed by the National Chairman of the NDC, Kofi Portuphy indicated.
Punish ‘rebellious’ NDC Chairmen – NEC member
Meanwhile, a member of the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Kofi Kukubor, has charged the party’s Council of elders to take “swift action” against some ten regional Chairmen who have endorsed the candidature of John Dramani Mahama for election 2020 even before campaigning officially starts.
We only asked Mahama to consider running – Ade Coker
