Former communications minister Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, Agricultural Economist Goosie Tanoh, former National Health Insurance boss Sylvester Mensah and 2nd Deputy Speaker of Parliament Alban Bagbin, and former Deputy Minister of Finance Kweku Ricketts-Hagan are among individuals who have began moves to work in concert to ensure that former president John Mahama is not elected flagbearer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), MyNewsGH.com can report.
Although all of them have declared an interest in leading the umbrella family come 2020, our source says one key condition their first meeting reached is the willingness to agree to present one of them (and not Mahama) to lead the NDC if need be.
Stephen Atubiga, an ex-convict and a controversial NDC flagbearer hopeful was missing in action. It is unclear whether he was invited (if at all) but failed to turn up.
But for former UPSA Vice-chancellor Professor Joshua Alabi, MyNewsGH.com learnt he turned down the invitation for the top-secret meeting, citing lack of interest.
This is not surprising as Professor Joshua Alabi had previously said he is confident he alone can crush the ‘so-called competition’ former President Mahama brings to the slot, insisting he’s not ready to combine forces with other aspirants to deal with the former president in the race. This was in May 2018, as MyNewsGh.com reported at the time.
Prof. Alabi said: “… … I am very confident I’ll win the slot without any difficulty.”
“The competition will bring out the best and the people will determine who’s the best and I know the people will take me as the best and I’ll be ruling for eight years” he had boasted.
Unite against Mahama or forget!- Ephson
At the same time, Prof Alabi was being boastful, pollster and Editor of the Dispatch Newspaper fired a caution for all the NDC candidates to form a united ticket against former president John Mahama, if they must retire him from domestic politics for good.
“There are five (at the time) of them maybe they can decide that let’s form a ticket that one will contest and one will be running mate. The more candidates they have the more advantageous it is for Mahama. They can get talking to see if they can join forces to beat Mahama,” Ephson said.
Perhaps the aspirants were listening to Mr Ephson afterall..
John Mahama led the party in 2016 elections which saw them losing power to the NPP and president Akufo-Addo in an unprecedented defeat for a sitting president.
Mr Mahama has since launched his come back campaign with full steam, starting from Cape Coast with his home region of Northern Region next on his radar.
