In deciding who leads the National Democratic Congress (NDC) into the 2020 elections, the party will need to allow the democratic process to work effectively in order to minimise some of the challenges it is saddled with, Dr Mohammed Abass, a political science lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has said.

According to him, the NDC hasn’t really been democratic in the election of its flag bearers over the years, a situation which has led to divisions within the party.

His comment follows the backlash former President Mahama has suffered at the hands of NDC MP for Yunyoo, Bipoba Naabu.

Mr Naabu said, among other things, on Class91.3FM on Tuesday March 21: “The arrogance of most of the Ministers was very serious and it affected their elections. I don’t want to mention names. I know a minister went to his constituency and told a former MP that that MP was not qualified to be a minister and that is why he was not made a minister and he is qualified, that is why he was made a minister. Can you imagine? And most of the ministers that were appointed under NDC – they were young boys who have not been able to settle down well. Some of them just came from school – they couldn’t even hire a chamber and hall for themselves, they could not even buy a bicycle. When they were made ministers and deputy ministers, within a year or two they were riding in posh cars. With me they had no experience and that affected us.”

Similarly, former MP for La Dadekotpon, Nii Amasa Namoale, has said he has already laced his boots and would beat “anyone who dares to contest” him in the next presidential primaries of the party.

“I will beat anyone who will contest me including John Mahama…,” he was reported to have said on Peace FM’s Kokrokoo.

Speaking in an interview with Accra News’ Naa Atswei Oduro on Wednesday March 22, Dr Abass said: “When it gets to the stage where they will elect a flag bearer, they will need to really allow consensus and democratic processes to work. That is the more reason why there is the congress. So far, if you look at the NDC, they haven’t really had an effective congress before because John Mahama did not come through a congress, Prof Mills’ was questionable, and so this is the time they will need to allow the democratic process to work effectively for the majority of the grassroots of the party to decide who leads them.

“I will add that this is not even the right time for the NDC to be talking about who leads them into the 2020 elections as their flag bearer. This is the time they will need to reflect on the issues and problems that led to their defeat because there are several problems within the party. Those issues started from the days of Professor Mills up to the time of John Mahama. They could not address the problems because they had power and now these issues are really rearing their heads.

“They should get to the drawing table and reflect on the problems that are confronting them with the aim of resolving them.”