Bernard Allotey Jacobs and John Mahama
Bernard Allotey Jacobs, an opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) bigwig, has ruled out any chances for the flagbearer of the party, former President John Dramani Mahama, in the 2020 presidential election.
The immediate-past Central Regional Chairman of the NDC said he would be surprised if the December 7 polls were declared and Mr. Mahama had been able to defeat President Akufo-Addo in the crucial contest, looking at the performance of the sitting President so far.
“Looking at what is going on, it will come as a surprise to me if Mahama is declared winner of the 2020 elections,” he said on ‘Ekosii Sen’, a political talk show on ‘Asempa FM’, on Wednesday.
Allotey Suspension
Mr. Jacobs, who has not hidden his deep love for the late President Mills, has been having issues with the leadership of the NDC for some time, and he was recently suspended by the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the party through a hurriedly prepared letter.
To make matters worse, the party again got him out of a radio (Peace FM) programme he had been doing for the party for many years. But unperturbed, he has been doing his independent analysis in the media and has said he no longer speaks for the NDC.
Independent Analysis
In his independent analysis, Mr. Jacobs, aka Educated Fisherman, said Mr. Mahama did not do enough for him to be given a second chance to return to the Presidency.
He said emphatically that the atmosphere was still not conducive for Mr. Mahama to return because President Akufo-Addo would not allow the gains he has made to be eroded just like that.
In his view, the NPP will continue to hold on to power because the NPP has put in place various strategies and programmes that will ensure it retains power.
He said the NDC messed up when it was given the chance to govern the country and must not underestimate the NPP, adding “when they (NDC) had their chance, they messed up…do not take NPP for a joke.”
Daunting Task
He said the NDC elements were facing a daunting task because they had decided to sideline former President Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings who founded the party and that would affect them big time on December 7.
“If they are building the party, I will see it and you cannot build the party without the founder,” he said.
Bawumia Debate
He has already said that the NDC needed a running mate who can match the finance and economic management prowess of Vice-President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
When the machinations to get Mr. Jacobs off radio started, the NDC issued a statement purporting to boycott all panel discussions on Accra-based ‘Peace FM’ where the NDC kingpin was a regular panelist on their morning show.
The party then claimed it was taking the action because of remarks by Mr. Jacobs on national issues were against the NDC of which he was a guru.
“The National Communication Bureau of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) wishes to inform all its communicators, media monitors, and officials that the party has boycotted Peace (104.3) FM’s morning show (Kookrokoo) effective today, Wednesday, May 6, 2020,” the party’s communications director, Sammy Gyamfi, said in a statement.
The party subsequently suspended him for what they claimed to be ‘anti-party conduct.’
Mr. Jacobs then said he was taking a bow from panel discussions on radio after “seeing” the ghost of former President Mills.
Mills’s Ghost
According to him, the late President on a Sunday appeared in his dream dressed in white apparel with black shoes to match, and asked him not to stand in the way of the NDC leaders “for them not to blame him in future.”
“Last Sunday around 12:00 a.m., I saw my elder brother, Prof. Atta Mills, dressed in white apparel with black shoes. It was like I was in a trance or having a dream, Kwami,” he claimed in an interview with ‘Peace FM’, adding that he was asked by the former President to accompany him to the house of his (Atta) sister during which he urged him to refrain from honouring invitations to become a panellist on all radio programmes.
“As we got closer to the house, he demanded that we should return, which we did eventually. Later, I realized that his pair of shoes had changed to look like military boots, with the laces loosened. I attempted to fasten the shoelaces but he declined and said to me that I was not the right person to do that for him,” he claimed.
Mr. Jacobs narrated that Prof. Atta Mills fastened the shoelaces himself as they continued to walk down the road.
While on the way, the ghost of Atta Mills affirmed the caution, insisting that he should not do anything for the NDC else the party members would blame him in future. He said as a result of that he had decided to refrain from accepting invitations to take part in radio programmes.
Shellshock Allotey
Mr. Jacobs then said he was yet to come to terms with what happened to him and said the action of his party got him ‘shellshock’ and ‘thinking’.
“I have been contemplating on it with my family. People I started politics with from 1975 and set up social groups with have all advised me. It is better to sacrifice one man than for a whole nation to perish. So I have decided not to come on the show. I am very sorry, Kwami. I know I will disappoint you so much and I know I will disappoint thousands of Peace FM listeners of Kokrokoo morning show,” he said when the station called him on phone.
2021 Waiting
He later told the host, Kwami Sefa Kayi, via telephone that “I will wait till 2021. I may be proved right or wrong, but I will tell my story after that. God is truthful. I am not coming back again. The insults rained on you on various social media platforms are enough. You are my younger brother.”
“I do not want to be the reason for your name-calling. As for me, I will not confront those whom the gods have possessed. I will stay back and relax; after all, 50 years in politics is enough… and I will soliloquize to determine whether to resign from politics or continue,” he concluded.
By Ernest Kofi Adu