Mahama is worrying himself to become flagbearer again - Stephen Ashitey Adjei

A former executive member of the Tema East constituency branch of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Stephen Ashitey Adjei, has declared that former President John Mahama’s quest to return to power again is a wild goose’ chase.

In a write-up released on Monday over the state of affairs in the NDC, Mr. Ashitey Adjei, who is popularly called Moshake, said the former President has no prospect for the presidency of Ghana because his brand is dead.

“And when it comes to the 2024 presidential ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Mr. Mahama has a battle of his life to fight because we in the NDC are in the mood for change and Dr. Kwabena Duffuor is a fine alternative,” Moshake said.

Moshake is only the latest NDC man to root for Dr. Kwabena Duffuor against Mr. Mahama who has been the NDC’s longest flagbearer ever. Many other party members and activists, including Edrolali Adjorlolo, are openly shunning another Mahama candidature.

Mr. Mahama is also the man who led the NDC into opposition from power, handing the party its most humiliating defeat ever in 2016 when it lost to the NPP with a 1 million vote margin.

“We in the NDC have not and will never forget that we were booted into opposition because of Mahama’s poor leadership and neglectfulness while he was in power.

“We will never forget that after we had sacrificed so much to bring the party into power from opposition, Mahama abandoned the party’s members and bought cars for university girls. Mahama should know that all of these things remain in the minds of the very delegates he abandoned when he was in power,” Moshake said.

Since 2012, John Mahama has been flagbearer of the NDC, losing re-election bids in 2016 and 2020.

Many people feel that Mr. Mahama has had his turn and that his brand has lost shine because while he was president, he allowed the then opposition NPP to successfully portray him as an incompetent and corrupt man. According to Moshake, the butchered image of John Mahama will just not do for the NDC in 2024 and the NDC delegates know.

“And it is not just me who is saying it, even the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) has said that even though the 2024 elections, it stands a far better chance of unseating the NPP if it changes John Mahama as the party’s candidate.”

Last year, the EIU released a report that forecast that the NDC is in pole position to win the 2024 election but advised that the party would stand a better chance if it changes Mr. Mahama as candidate.

“Whichever way you look at it, Mr. Mahama is not a winsome candidate for the NDC in 2024 and he is obviously not a good sellable material to voters. He is just worrying himself trying to become presidential candidate again,” Moshake said.