I'm sure of a Botchwey victory - Gizo

Agomeda (Eastern Region) -- Hon Michael Afedzi Gizo, Member of Parliament (MP) for Shai-Osudoku Constituency, and campaign manager of Dr Kwesi Botchwey, one of the two candidates aspiring for the presidential slot in the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which will be determined this Saturday, is in such a high spirit that he thinks a victory for his right hand man is a foregone conclusion.

All he is expecting is for those at the opposite end of the political tug-of-war to accept defeat when they meet their “waterloo” at Legon, venue of the impending national delegates congress and cooperate with the winner- in this case Dr Kwesi Botchwey- for the party to forge ahead.

Expressing his optimism to The Ghanaian Chronicle at Agomeda last Friday during a graduation ceremony of outgoing students of the Integrated Community of Employable Skills (ICCES), Gizo said going by the rapport and assurances they received as his camp toured the regions and constituencies, he had no fears at all that it would all be smiles for the doctor and his supporters.

The Shai MP said what people seem not to know is that the delegates congress is not a general election in which every adult has a right to vote. He continued, “What surprises me is that very often, those who make the most noise and rain insults on opponents during phone-in programmes are not even delegates and may not even show up near the congress that day.”

Gizo said the apparent rift in the party is that this is the first time the party is treading on this democratic lane and hoped the dust would settle soon. He hailed previous NPP congresses in which then candidate Kufuor and his brother-in-law, J.H. Mensah, competed for the same thing, but worked together again when Kufuor snatched the ticket, saying, “this shows that the black man can also practise democracy.”

The campaign manager also explained that he is not at loggerheads with the father and founder of the NDC, Flt Lt J.J. Rawlings, as is being reported, but thinks it is beautiful to have divergent views. And when asked how his camp feels with the public campaigns by leading party functionaries for some candidates, Mike said he is not deterred by those actions since it is natural to show affection for a person or an ideal.

The NDC delegates congress, which is a few days away, entered a final gear recently with executives and MPs alike brushing aside their own constitution of neutrality of executives and displayed their bias towards the academicians from the Central Region of Ghana- Fiifi and Kwesi.

It is believed that a sizeable number of delegates would change their minds once they enter the hall where eloquence and cash would be at their notorious best.