2024 polls: I haven’t decided whether or not to contest for NDC flagbearership – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has not decided on whether or not he will contest for the flagbearership slot of the National Democratic Congress and ultimately lead the party into the 2024 elections. He says, however, that a decision on the subject matter will be made early next year to coincide with when the NDC will elect a flagbearer. In an interview with VOA’s Straight Talk Africa, Mahama said that he has not decided to contest the flagbearership adding that “it is good to keep your opponents guessing” on which candidate will be presented. “I haven’t,” Mahama responded amid laughter when asked if he has plans to run again in the 2024 elections. “It’s good to keep your opponents guessing so even if I’m not running, I’m not going to say I’m not running. So a decision will be taken early next year in the first quarter. That’s when we hold our party’s primaries for the presidential candidacy and then we will see,” he added in the interview which aired on Wednesday, October 12. Mahama’s name has come up as a strong contender in the NDC flagbearership race besides former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor who is also reportedly readying himself to mount a challenge for the slot. Many keen watchers of the political space believe Mahama will ease past Duffuor if it ends up as a two-horse race. It will be recalled that the former president in May this year expressed his interest in leading the NDC into the 2024 elections if the party will allow him. Speaking in an interview with Ugandan-based NBS television, the 2020 flagbearer of the NDC mentioned that he is unperturbed if the party picks a different aspirant since the main priority is to win the 2024 polls. “My country has given me so much, educated me, and made me who I am. So if the party lets me stand, I will,” NBS TV quoted John Mahama as saying. “The main priority is winning the election come 2024, and if the party decides that I or someone else should stand, it's all fine with me,” he added. While the governing New Patriotic Party plans to extend its tenure in office beyond 8 years in what it has christened as ‘Break the 8’, the NDC is also lacing up its boot to wrestle power from the incumbent party. You can also watch this episode of People & Places on GhanaWeb TV: DS/SARA