THE GREATER Accra Regional Organizer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Jerry Acquaye Thompson has warned the party members to be aware of the consequences that await them if the party fails to win December 2008 general elections.
He said even though NDC’s victory is clearly written on the walls and in the minds of Ghanaians, should the unexpected happen and the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) wins, they (NPP) would prosecute the former President and the founder of the NDC, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings after 2010.
According to him knowing the vindictive character of the NPP and their hatred for the NDC founder, NPP now led by one of the avowed enemies of Rawlings would put him on trial after the indemnity clause in the constitution expires in 2010 to destroy the party. To this end Mr. Acquaye Thompson urged members of the party to close their ranks, work together devoid of bickering, acrimony and disunity to win this year’s elections.
The Greater Accra Regional Organizer gave the warning at Ablekuma Central over the weekend. The occasion was a get-together organized by one of the defeated parliamentary candidates in the constituency, Mr. Godslove Quaye. It was attended by other defeated candidates and the regional chairman of the party, Daniel Annang.
The Ablekuma Central constituency branch of NDC has been in turmoil after a peaceful congress, which elected Mr. Theophilus Chaie as their parliamentary candidate for the 2008 general elections.
The defeated candidates according to media reports vehemently protested against the elections and raised various issues and demanded that if they were not addressed, they would put up an independent candidate. But in a sharp rebuttal on Saturday, all the defeated candidates pledged their unflinching support to the candidate and denied media reports that they wanted to present an independent candidate.
According to them, their main aim for petitioning the authorities was that their grievances should be addressed and that they belonged to the NDC and would never do anything to undermine the unity of the party.
” I am NDC. I will never leave NDC and I will still remain in NDC and I will make sure I have done everything in my power for the NDC to win the seat. We have no interest to present an independent candidate. We have just done our constitutional rights within our own party. I am NDC. No individual can put impediment on the chances of the NDC,” declared, Mr. Samuel Akukwei Quaye, the first runner up.
Jerry Acquaye told the party members that NDC would be at a crossroad if members failed to unite and work hard for the party to take the seat from the NPP.
“If the NDC cannot win the 2008 general elections, then we have a problem. The party would disintegrate. The NPP would put our former president on trial because after 2010, the indemnity clause would be over and that is why we need to work hard to win the elections,” he said.
He was of the view that if the NDC could increase its votes in the region by 5%, victory would be assured. Hon. Joseph Nii Laryea Afoley Agbo, the NDC Member of Parliament for Kpong Katamanso, said the masses are crying for the return of the NDC because they have being suffering too much under the NPP.
According to him, the victory of the NDC would not materialize if petty squabbles and bickering were not relegated to the background. The MP who was not happy with the situation in Ablekuma Central accused NPP of being insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians.
He said it was unfortunate that the NPP flagbearer, who once accused NDC of being insensitive to the plight of Ghanaians because it failed to reduce the price of fuel, could not utter a word when his government had on several occasions increased the petroleum prices. He was happy that Akufo-Addo was elected to contest the elections with Prof. Mills.
Nii Laryea noted that Greater Accra is not the stronghold of NPP and charged the party members to put the interest of the party first for NDC to win massively come December.
On his part, Mr. Daniel Annang, the Regional Chairman of the NDC told the gathering about what he had done to curb the tension.
He was pleased that the defeated candidates had resolved to support the winner in the party’s bid to win the seat on December 2008.
He cautioned the party members not to allow individual interest to override the supreme interest of the NDC. Mr. Annang believed that the issues raised by the defeated candidates would be addressed.
Mr. Godslove Quaye, the defeated candidate and the host of the dinner cum re-union, narrated what transpired at the congress and what precipitated their petition. Mad. Jane Oku and Mr. Bashiru Gambo also shared similar sentiments of Mr. Atukwei and others that the NDC was a bigger party and that no single individual could hold the party to ransom.
They indicated their preparedness to work assiduously for the party to enable them to regain its past glory of victory not only in the Ablekuma central but the entire nation.
Mr. Chaie, the parliamentary candidate on his part, appealed to all factions to come on board to work as a team for the victory of the NDC.According to him, his victory would be a victory for the NDC and believed that if they work together as a team, as a family, the battle would be won.
Meanwhile when the Publisher of The Chronicle was contacted he debunked the assertion made by Jerry Acquaye Thompson adding, “NDC’s fear is not justified because judging by the human rights record of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the flagbearer of the NPP, he will not execute such agenda when elected as President.
He emphasized that Nana Addo was a firm believer in human rights but was fast to admit that he was not his spokesman.
