A son of Ghana’s first President and member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Sekou Nkrumah has described the margin of defeat suffered by the former First Lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings at the party's Sunyani delegates' congress as ‘a shock to many of us’.
Sharing his thoughts on Xfm’s ‘The Big Bite’ Monday July, 11 2011 about pre and post congress events, he shared in former president Rawlings’s sentiments that, although the NDC had a fruitful congress and an eventual victory for Prof. Mills, it will be very difficult for the party in the 2012 general polls especially with the current state of events in the country with regards to the President’s performance generally.
“It seems to be a victory for Prof’s camp now but eventually it might be a loss in 2012 and I think those of us who called for a change within the NDC should not give up,” he said. He was of the view that many people were not comfortable with Nana Konadu as a choice of change not because she is a woman, but “perhaps people were rather not comfortable going back to the old days of PNDC/NDC era, which Nana Konadu couldn’t divorce herself from because of her background”.
He reiterated that although the battle for change was lost for now, the ‘war’ is going to continue for those who still want dynamic and strong leadership with vision not just for the NDC but for Ghana to better the lot of the people.
“I don’t see how confident the NDC should be going into the 2012 elections after its performance in government since its policies have not brought anything new to the lives of Ghanaians,” Sekou Nkrumah said, adding, “there is nothing to be excited about the Professor’s victory”.
Talking about party unity which he stressed was needed now, Dr Sekou Nkrumah advised the President to reach out to people outside his camp and find a way of bringing the NDC together by changing and correcting the things people outside his camp are complaining about with humility in other for the party to unite and move forward as a united front.
He was emphatic that the 2012 general elections could go either way and was doubtful if the NDC can have an outright victory especially if things continue the way they are right now in the country saying, “it will take magic” to achieve victory in 2012.