Obed Asamoah talked nonsense - Victor Smith

The National Chairman of the NDC, Dr Obed Asamoah, on Saturday met his worse ever humiliation at the hands of the founder of the party, ex-President Jerry Rawlings, and the party faithful for making a statement that many saw as irresponsible.

Whereas Rawlings told the NDC delegates that Dr Asamoah was “still in a daze,” other party faithful hurled insults at the chairman. Yet others called for his immediate resignation from the chairmanship and from the party.

It all started halfway through his speech, when Dr Asamoah made a statement that was interpreted as a warning to the delegates not to a make a mistake by voting for Prof John Atta Mills as the flagbearer of the party in the 2004 presidential elections.

He said, “abstract factors such as personality, charisma, approachability and the ability to pack and deliver messages are contributory factors to success in a general election and we must be conscious of that as we cast our votes.”

Dr Asamoah’s statement had been interpreted to suggest that former vice-President Attah Mills lacked those qualities and so he was unqualified to be chosen as the party’s flagbearer.

“In declining to be the flagbearer of the Democratic Party of the US, former vice-President Al Gore, who was defeated in 2000, in circumstances similar to ours, said he wanted to avoid a campaign that would be a rematch which would inevitably involve a focus on the past and distract from a focus on the future. What food for thought,” Dr Asamoah had said.

This statement drew shouts and insults from supporters and delegates and infuriated Jerry Rawlings, who declined to make a speech when called to do so, saying: “What I would say would be meaningless unless truth prevails. I will rest my case and wait until after the election, and when truth prevails I will share my hearts’ desire with you.”

Commenting on the mood of the former President, his Special Aide, Victor Smith told The Statesman that he had been saddened by “nonsensical occurrences” in the party in recent times, especially during the recent campaigning.

Reacting to Dr Asamoah’s utterances, Smith said, “The chairman talked nonsense.” The former Minister of Communications, John Mahama, described Dr Asamoah’s statement as unfortunate and irresponsible, while former Foreign Affairs Minister Victor Gbeho equally condemned it.

Ekow Spio-Garbrah, former Education Minister, said the timing of the statement did not help engender unity but showed continuous bias for one candidate.” But former Youth and Sports Minister E.T. Mensah declined to comment on Dr Asamoah’s statement. All efforts to get Dr Asamoah to make a comment had not succeeded.