Deputy Minister of Information, Baba Jamal, has shockingly stated that President Atta Mills does not need the blessing of ex-President Jerry John Rawlings, founder of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), in order to win the party’s upcoming presidential primaries.

This, according to him, was the reason why President Mills did not seek audience with former President Rawlings when he picked his nomination forms, as Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and Ekwow Spio-Garbrah did.

Baba Jamal told Kessben FM in an interview that President Mills did not need the blessing of ex-President Rawlings to win either the party’s flag-bearership race or the 2012 polls. The deputy information minister contended that President Mills, by virtue of his good works as President of the nation, was capable of winning both the NDC flag-bearership race and the 2012 elections.

The former deputy Eastern regional minister took a swipe at critics accusing President Mills of showing disrespect to the founder of the party by not seeking audience with him when he picked his forms.

Baba Jamal underscored that no provision in the party’s constitution required President Mills to seek audience with ex-President Rawlings because he was the founder of the party.

He noted that as the leader of the party, President Mills was capable of picking his forms and going ahead to launch his campaign without seeking audience with the founder of the party.

It will be recalled that both Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings and Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, after picking their nomination forms, sought audience with the former President, where they received blessings from him.

But shockingly, President Mills did not follow the footsteps of his contenders as immediately after picking his nomination forms, he proceeded to the office of Get Atta Mills Endorsed (GAME) and launched his campaign.