James Agbey, a National Democratic Congress (NDC) operative, has cautioned members of his party, particularly appointees of former President John Dramani Mahama, against complacency in the 2024 presidential elections.
According to him, the dispositioning of some NDC members that the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) has already lost the 2024 election is wrong and should not be tolerated.
In a statement sighted by GhanaWeb, Agbey chastised appointees of the former president for thinking the NDC has already won the elections and accused them of being the cause of the current challenges in the party.
“Given the dire state of the party, and while we're now faced with the possibility of the party going extinct after 2024 elections, these former appointees who ought to know better are focusing their efforts on their presidential ambitions in 2028.
“They have relegated Mahama and the 2024 agenda to the background and now are lacing their boots in the background to take over from Mahama in furtherance of their gluttonous self-indulgence. It is so shameful that these people are oblivious of the fact that the NDC has a lot of work to do in order to recapture power in 2024.
“Today, these rudderless former appointees are putting themselves in pole position to run for presidential office in 2028. How dare they? Who told them 2024 is over?” parts of the statement read.
The NDC operative also said that the party should take the “NPP will never hand over power to the NDC” statements by the Minister for Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, seriously.
“This same Bryan Acheampong as minister of state in charge of national security caused havoc at Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections. Hon Sam George was a victim in that operation. The NDC and its followers were beaten to a pulp and we are still being continuously aggrieved at every turn,” he wrote.
Read the full statement below:
For Immediate Release
Monday, 5th June 2023.
NDC operative warns former Mahama appointees; 2024 is not a done deal.
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I feel it is necessary to issue this public statement in response to numerous suggestions from several former Mahama appointees that election 2024 is a done deal for former President John Mahama.
These former appointees appear to have made the common error in believing that the NPP has already lost 2024.
As an operative and the director of operations of the Greater Accra NDC in the 2020 elections, I can say boldly and factually here that this sort of complacency is the reason why the NDC found itself in opposition.
Given the dire state of the party, and while we're now faced with the possibility of the party going extinct after 2024 elections, these former appointees who ought to know better are focusing their efforts on their own presidential ambitions in 2028. They have relegated Mahama and the 2024 agenda to the background and now are lacing their boots in the background to take over from Mahama in featherance of their gluttonous self indulgence.
It is so shameful that these people are oblivious of the fact that the NDC has a lot of work to do in order to recapture power in 2024.
These former appointees appear to have forgotten that their marginalisation of decent and hardworking party activist is precisely one of the reasons NDC lost 2016 elections.
It has been an immensely traumatic and painful experience for several NDC activists who sacrificed for this party and yet have nothing to show for it due to the actions and inactions of former Mahama appointees.
The NDC under Mills/Mahama was in office for 8 years and yet NDC young men and women are the most poorest in society. Some of them have turned into beggars due to the greed of these same Mahama appointees.
Today, these rudderless former appointees are putting themselves in pole position to run for presidential office in 2028.
How dare they?
Who told them 2024 is over?
Bryan Acheampong recently told the whole world that the NPP are not ready to hand over power to the NDC. He also mentioned that they have the men - he told the world that his men are battle ready to unleash terror.
This same Bryan Acheampong as minister of state in charge of national security caused havoc at Ayawaso West Wuogon by-elections. Hon Sam George was a victim in that operation. The NDC and its followers were beaten to pulp and we are still being continuously aggrieved at every turn.
And instead of the NDC apparatchiks showcasing their capacity to meet the NPP squarely, we have these former appointees displaying their intellectual and political deficiency in the market place.
Where are the men in the NDC? Where are the courageous men and women who once made the NDC a power house?
Do we as a party have the men to stand up to the NPP?
I have met and spoken to many of our operatives, who are utterly disillusioned by the behaviour of these former appointees.
At this juncture, we are faced with a weakened and demoralised party, which is why, I'm putting out this statement to send a clear message to the rank and file of the NDC that, some of us are not going to sit back and watch the complacency of the former Mahama appointees to sink us deeper into the political abyss. We are ready to stand up and be counted. And if by our dint of handwork, we win power, we will continue to serve as vanguard of the administration and insist that the NDC rewards hardwork and not patronage.
We are ready to offer resistance and chase all bald heads out of the party.
The shameful attack on NDC activism by former Mahama appointees must stop now.
Long Live Rawlings' Revolution
Viva la revolución
Signed:
James Agbey (NDC Operative)
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