Founder of the governing National Democratic Congress, Jerry Rawlings must strive to be a father figure to all contestants in the party’s forthcoming national delegates’ congress, Chairman Aspirant Dan Abodakpi has said.

“President Rawlings as founder of this party has certain rights, which he can exercise in whatever form that he wants to, but if the question is to be put to me directly, I will have advised that he remains the father figure in this party because clearly the delegates of our party are very discerning and by the grace of God, will do what is right,” the former Minister of Trade and Industry said in an interview with starr FM’s Ibrahim Alhassan.

“I do believe that despite the inducements that are going [on], at the end of the day that will not be what will make them make the decisions, so I think that our father should continue to maintain that stature above his colleagues’ partisanship so he can continue to enjoy that moral authority that he has over and above everybody else in the party,” Abodakpi who served under former President Rawlings said.

Abodakpi is in the race with incumbent Dr Kwabena Adjei, Vice Chair Huudu Yahaya and Coordinator of the national disaster management organisation (NADMO), Kofi Portuphy.

The former Minister’s counsel to Mr Rawlings to remain a father figure comes on the heels of a similar advice given by the incumbent Chairman, who said former President Jerry Rawlings is losing respect within the party, for his open declaration of support for his Spokesperson Kofi Adams, ahead of the party’s forthcoming national delegates’ congress.

Adams is vying for the National Organiser slot. He is contesting incumbent Yaw Boateng Gyan. MP for Afram Plains North, Aboagye Didieye, who was also in the race, got disqualified along the line. He has taken the party to Court over his disqualification. He has prayed the Court to put an injunction on the Saturday congress. The case will be determined on Thursday.

Mr Rawlings, in November said the NDC needs people such as his Spokesperson to help the party regain its “lost integrity.”

“I wish I could keep him with me for us to do a lot of work together, but I think the party needs him more than I do. My integrity is still intact, it is the party that has lost its integrity or some members of the leaders that require some people like Kofi to go and increase the quality,” he said.

Apart from vouching for the integrity of his Spokesperson, Mr Rawlings has also urged Delegates to overhaul the entire leadership of the party.

Dr Adjei, who is seeking to retain his position for the third consecutive time, told starr FM’s Ibrahim Alhassan in an interview that the former President should have remained neutral and served as a father figure for all the contestants.

“There is a certain respect in being neutral in occasions like this and that neutrality I have tried to portray to Ghanaians without them seeing it. If I was not, myself, showing neutrality between Jerry John Rawlings and Atta Mills, the party would have broken down so you understand?

“If I were in his position, I would take everybody who is contesting as my sons. I won’t support anybody. The moment you go out to support somebody, you lower your prestige and then the respect people have for you,” the former Minister in the Rawlings administration said of his former boss.