Former Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Hannah Bisiw, has backed John Dramani Mahama to become the National Democratic Congress (NDC)’s presidential candidate for the 2020 elections and go on to defeat Nana Akufo-Addo and become President once again.
Hannah Bisiw, who served under John Dramani Mahama in the previous administration, has thrown her weight behind Mr. Mahama following the declaration of his intent to contest the NDC’s presidential ticket.
According to her, despite losing the 2016 presidential elections to Nana Addo, John Mahama has triumphed over the current President before in 2012, and will do so again in 2020.
When asked by Eyewitness News host Umaru Sanda Amadu whether she will support Mr Mahama, Hannah Bisiw replied, “Of course.”
“For me, I did not resign as his deputy Minister. I worked with him. He gave me the opportunity and I worked because I believed in his vision. I am a principled person, if I didn’t like John Mahama, I wouldn’t have worked with him. I believe in the vision that he had and I believe in his leadership qualities. President Mahama once defeated Nana Addo, Nana Addo came to defeat him and he will defeat him back.”
Hannah Bisiw, who is also a National Women’s Organiser aspirant of the NDC stated that, Ghanaian voters who supported the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in 2016 have become disillusioned with the NPP government due to a host of unfulfilled promises and a number of unresolved economic challenges.
“I know that will happen because go to Abossey Okai, today, the spare parts dealers are crying. [The NPP’s] own Kennedy Agyapong says he’s turned all his cedis into dollars because the cedi isn’t working well. Today the market women are crying and the taxi and trotro drivers have been deceived. Petrol is very expensive. Today the taxes are so high that importers cannot clear their goods from the ports.
I’m from Brong Ahafo. The people were promised that their monies would be paid. Today they’ve not seen the money. For all the ‘promise and fails’ and for the deceit that came through the campaign, I’m sure John Mahama will win.”
Mahama declares intent to contest
The former President in announcing his interest to run again for the high office, forwarded a letter of intent to the NDC, to contest the party’s primary expected to take place in December 2018.
The announcement has been met with mixed reactions, with members of the NDC, in particular, backing him firmly.
But critics of the decision are of the view that since Mahama has gone through the structures of the political ladder, his experience will be more beneficial now as a statesman and not a President.
Support from Regional Chairmen, MPs
The ten Regional Chairmen of the NDC also backed the candidature of Mr. Mahama for election 2020 before he had even made an announcement.
The ten regional chairmen, after a meeting at the time, issued a communique in which they urged the former President to consider running for the 2020 polls.
Ninety-four NDC MPs out of the Minority Caucus of 106 also endorsed Mr. Mahama as the flagbearer for the 2020 polls before his announcement.
Mahama not marketable for 2020
Meanwhile, a former Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Ken Dzirasah has said the former Krowor Member of Parliament, Prof. Joshua Alabi who is also in the race to lead the NDC into 2020 is the best candidate to represent the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2020 elections.
According to him, it will be potentially difficult for the NDC to market the former President John Mahama who lost the 2016 elections.
