Former President John Mahama
Confusion has erupted in the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) over some monies former President John Mahama and NDC reportedly gave to the party’s regional chairmen.
DAILY GUIDE sources in the umbrella family have hinted that sometime last week Saturday, February 9, 2019, Mr. Mahama, who is hoping to lead the NDC for the second time for the 2020 presidential election, held a meeting with all 10 regional chairmen of the NDC at his office to discuss how to shore up support for his candidature in order to win the race.
The former president is said to have budgeted an amount of GH?2million for that project.
Each of the 10 regional chairmen was given an amount of GH?100,000 with GH?30,000 for each of the 275 constituency chairmen to ensure he wins the primary.
Checks with some constituency executives indicated that even though many of them have heard about the existence of the money, they maintained that the cash is yet to get to them.
They claim the regional executives are refusing to release the money to them.
Meanwhile, some branch executives are said to be unhappy with the situation where constituency and regional executives collect money from candidates with the promise to get all branch executives to vote for them.
They said they are not ‘zombies’ to follow anything that the constituency chairmen tell them and that they are determined to send a strong signal that they are not to be taken for granted.
It would be recalled that in September 2018, while addressing NDC delegates at Awutu Senya, Mahama said funds meant for the NDC 2016 campaign did not make it to the grassroots and that contributed to the 2016 defeat. It appears history is repeating itself.
Mr. Mahama at the time had said: “I have noted all our mistakes. We realized campaign funds were diverted, but we have learnt our lessons. We will ensure campaign funds go through the right channel to get the campaign done. In 2020, we must rise up and be vigilant. I am confident that at the end of the polls, NDC will be declared winner,” he said.
On Saturday, 23rd February, the NDC will go to the polls to elect its presidential candidate for the 2020 elections, and Mr. Mahama is tipped to win without sweat.
However, he will face pockets of resistance from Alban Bagbin, Alhaji Nurudeen Iddrissu, Sylvester Mensah, Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah, Goosie Tanoh and Prof. Joshua Alabi.
By Charles Takyi-Boadu