Duffour doesn’t have the same influence as Mahama – Gbande

The Deputy General Secretary of the main opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mustapha Gbande, has warned that the Functional Executives Committee (FEC) of the party will not sit aloof for the integrity of members to be attacked by the campaign team of the former Finance Minister, Dr Kwabena Duffour.

"We have our integrity to protect and will not sit down for the image of the national officers of the party to be dragged in the mud,” he warned.

Mr Gbande’s comment comes after Dr Duffuor called on the National Executive of the party to postpone the upcoming presidential and parliamentary primaries scheduled for this weekend, May 13, 2023.

This according to him, is a result of some discrepancies in the party’s voter register.

In a letter to the General Secretary of the NDC, Dr Duffuor’s campaign team complained that the register is incomplete and inaccurate to be used for the elections.

Reacting Dr Duffour’s letter for the postponement of the election, Mr Gbande said Dr Duffuor’s team is raising red flags when there is none.

Speaking on the Ghana Yensom morning show hosted by Odeyeeba Kofi Essuman on Accra 100.5 FM on Tuesday, May 9, 2023, Mr Gbande said the album was given to all the aspirants in the race some two months ago.

“If you don’t know the delegates how were you campaigning?” he queried.

He said so far, albums of 240 Constituencies have been given to Dr Duffour's team.

“The rest will be made available to them today,” he assured, wondering: “Is it a case Dr Duffour wants to be treated as the former president?”

He said it would be a mistake for the former finance minister and his team to think that they have the same influence as former president John Mahama.

“Dr Duffour must be told he hasn’t been there before and there is no way he can wield the same influence as the former president,” Mr Gbande noted.

He said Dr Duffour is not on the same pedestal as the former president.

He warned the situation where few individuals in the party schemed for the party to remain in opposition in the last elections will not be countenanced by the current executives of the party.