Why Rawlings didn’t want Mahama as Mills’ running mate

A covet maneuver of former President Jerry John Rawlings to block now-President John Dramani Mahama from becoming a Leader of Ghana seems to have been exposed.

The validation is associated with the call by leading executives of the National Democratic Party (NDP) on the twice-defeated Presidential Candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr. Williams Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Monday November, 3, 2014, at his Nima residence in Accra.

The first of Rawlings’ dislike for John Dramani Mahama coming near to the country’s Presidency was when he vehemently opposed the decision of the late President John Evans Atta Mills’ choice of John Mahama as his running-mate for the 2008 elections.

As a matter of fact, ex-President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu, had wanted the former Attorney-General and Minister for Justice, Mrs. Betty Mould-Iddrisu, as the running mate to Professor Mills.

Now, sources close to former President Rawlings have hinted The Informer that, he (Rawlings) approve of the visit of the NDP founded by his wife, Nana Konadu, to express their support for Nana Akufo-Addo in the 2016 general elections because he never wanted John Mahama as President of this country.

Speaking to The Informer on strict condition of anonymity - for fear of victimization, a highly placed source with the former President said, “If Chairman Rawlings was not in support of the idea, he would have stopped Dr. Josiah Aryeh and his team from embarking on such a politically suicidal move”.

“My brother, I will not be convinced that Founder was unaware of the courtesy call by Dr. Aryeh and his group on Nana Addo. He was in the know, and gave his blessings; having demonstrated well enough that he does not want Mahama as a Leader of the Party (he Rawlings founded), as well as President of the Republic of Ghana,” this trusted source told the Editor of The Informer.

The source continued, “if Founder wanted John Mahama as President, he would have disclosed to Nana Addo and the NPP his intention not to campaign for the Party (NDC) he brought into being, when the latter paid a courtesy call on him at his Ridge Residence in the build-up to the 2012 general election”.

“Do you think the Rawlingses have given up the agenda of sending the NDC into opposition?” This worried close associate of the former President queried.

According to the source, the former President is continuing with his agenda towards President Mahama, as he demonstrated in 2008 when the late President Mills wanted to pick him as his running mate, and has, therefore, decided to use the wife’s NDP to push his agenda.

“What is revealing than Dr. Josiah Aryeh’s statement of how Nana Konadu, their Leader, wanted to be present at last Monday’s meeting with Nana Akufo-Addo to pledge the NDP’s support for the NPP in the 2016 election; but for her ill-health?

The above is a tacit confirmation that former President Rawlings was hundred percent aware and approved of the said meeting; and President Mahama should ‘shine his eyes’, period”, the source angrily concludes.

It would be recalled that, Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings, who has in the past said, ‘Nana Addo is not a lawyer,’ without shame, went to the NPP newly-elected flagbearer for explanation of the verdict of the Supreme Court ruling as to who legitimately won the 2012 presidential elections.

But for the timely intervention of the late President Mills, Nana Konadu’s derogatory remarks about Nana Addo (that he is not a lawyer), would have affected the electoral fortunes of the NDC in the 2008 elections.