Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah
A presidential aspirant of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, has rejected claims by one of his sacked campaign coordinators that he is not interested in the flagbearership race of the party.
He said Isaac Kofi Ahimah, 63, the campaign coordinator of the ‘Spio Garbrah Fun Club,’ who was reportedly fired by Dr. Spio-Garbrah through a text message for alleged ‘misbehaviour’, is a treacherous character who is not going to be countenanced.
Cynical Claim
Last week, Mr. Ahimah accused the former Minister of Trade and Industry of not taking his campaign seriously, saying he was only interested in using the NDC to enrich himself.
“It has come to our notice that Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah is posting his contributions to NDC on some platforms and also asking for help towards his agenda to become the flag bearer for our dear party, the NDC. We want to reject his words because he is not serious. Spio thinks he is the smartest person in NDC, trying to use the party to mobilize funds for himself,” Mr. Ahimah fired.
He claimed “he (Spio) has no intention to contest the NDC primaries as he has already thrown his support behind JDM (former president Mahama) so he could be considered as a running mate, which he will not get.”
Aflao Declaration
Mr. Ahimah alleged that during the NDC’s ‘Unity Walk’ in Aflao in the Volta Region, Dr. Spio-Garbrah said publicly that he was withdrawing from the flagbearership race of the NDC to back former president Mahama.
“He cannot therefore turn around to create the impression that he is still in the race,” he added.
In the ensuing melee, Dr. Spio-Garbrah’s campaign team has issued a statement disputing Mr. Ahimah’s claims, saying “the former minister has not abandoned his resolve to lead the NDC in 2020”.
Distasteful Claims
The statement jointly signed by Robert Afulimi, Campaign Spokesman for Spio-Garbrah; Justice Donkor,
Ag National Coordinator for Spio-Garbrah Fan Club; and Ibrahim Bashiru, Northern Regional Representative, Spio-Garbrah Fan Club, described the comments by Isaac Kofi Ahimah as “treacherous, distasteful, and false claims”.
They said “Mr Ahimah’s disreputable attack on the Spio-Garbrah campaign is most regrettable, as he is the highest beneficiary of the generosity of Dr. Spio-Garbrah,” adding “Mr Ahimah’s false claim that the candidate is not contesting the NDC presidential slot is outlandish, as Dr. Spio-Garbrah is still very much in the race.”
Experienced Team
“The Spio-Garbrah team, as experienced as it is, finds the insidious machinations most strange. Among the potential presidential aspirants of the great NDC for 2020, Dr Spio-Garbrah is the veteran among them, since he is the only one who has contested in any competitive flagbearership elections of the party—in 2006,” the team said.
They added “he did not throw in the towel even when he faced a strong challenge from then candidate Prof Mills who later became president of our dear nation. Dr Spio-Garbrah placed second in the line-up of 2006. He remained in the party, contributed his mettle to its progress and has been visible in the mass quest of party members for a resurgent and vibrant NDC.”
Renegade Coordinator
The statement said “Mr. Ahimah became a renegade after being caught frequently visiting the office of a leading member of a rival campaign team, to solicit for money. He confessed to his treacherous conduct, apologized and asked for forgiveness before a disciplinary committee of the Spio Campaign Team”.
The Spio Team indicated “subsequently, failing in his excessive demands for money, Kofi Ahimah has become a more obvious traitor, blackmailer and extortionist, making claims he knows to be false and therefore libelous,” adding “nonetheless, Dr Spio-Garbrah’s team, in setting the records straight, would like to affirm his candidature in the race when nominations are open, and that quest is unflinching. Dr Spio- Garbrah is a man of integrity and at no point in his extensive career in public service, nationally and internationally, had any charges been brought against him either for official malfeasances or social friction. All he stands for is to give the NDC a new direction by bringing all constituents of the party together.”
By William Yaw Owusu