The Voltarians should have seen it coming. They took things for granted and before they could finish a bowl of ‘akplɛ’, power started slipping from their hands. Mr. Mahama was never happy when he served under the late Mills—with Mr. Rawlings always on the neck of the NDC when Rawlings had told the world that more than 60 per cent of the NDC leaders were corrupt. Mr. Mahama knew the late Mills was not among the perceived corrupt officials. Mr. Mahama conducted himself well among the lot and hated Rawlings for that.
Rawlings ‘stepped on his accelerator’ and released his venom. Mahama too cleverly released the ‘babies with sharp teeth’ to attack Rawlings in order to make him unpopular among the NDC followers. All these mechanisation were done at the wrong side of the late good old professor. After all, the man was concentrating more on seeking a cure for his ailment than what was going on between Mahama and Rawlings.
Mahama is a cunning politician and a clever liar. He saw Koku Anyidoho, a Voltarian and a right hand man of the late Mills, as a threat to his ambition of becoming the president of Ghana in future, and so with Rawlings literally tied to the stake, Anyidoho should be the next victim. Anyidoho’s closeness to the late Mills was Mahama’s Achilles heels. To add insult to injury, the rumour mill had it that it was time for a Voltarian to be a president again since their commitment to the NDC is unalloyed.
Clever Mahama had an antidote to that—he bided his time and the time came knocking on his door when nomination was opened for party faithful to pick forms to contest various positions. The great son of Ndewura Jakpa looked into his crystal ball and saw some top Voltarians picking nomination forms. He saw his arch-enemy, Koku Anyidoho, Anita Desoso, Dan Abodakpi and a host of top stars from the Volta Region picking nomination forms.
Mahama, the fox, knew very well that when these Voltarians gain roots in the party at the national level, they will clandestinely bring back to take full control of the party and push him aside. So Papa Mahama formed his own team, sponsored them and oiled their vehicles to criss-cross the country to seek votes in his name.
The war chest of Mahama was overflowing, so money was no problem at all. On the very day of the congress, supporters of Mahama’s chosen team literally commandeered all drinking spots and spent heavily everywhere they went. Even before all the votes were counted, Anita Desoso told journalists that all Voltarians who contested will be booted out. And it came to pass.
During the manifesto launch of the NDC, everybody thought Rawlings would be present. When the names of dignitaries were mentioned at the manifesto launch, I did not hear the names of Anyidoho, Anita, Kofi Adams and a host of NDC gurus from the Volta Region. The sages say you don’t bite the fingers that feed you. Only ungrateful persons do so. It was Mr. Rawlings who made Mahama— and, of course, Asiedu Nketia. Politically, Rawlings brought the two to the limelight. It was Rawlings who made Mahama a Deputy Minister of Information, a substantive Minister of Information, a Vice-President, and in fact manoeuvered to make him the president of Ghana.
When Madam Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings decided to challenge the late Mills at the Sunyani Congress, Mahama, the ungrateful man, worked tirelessly to make sure Nana Konadu lose the contest. That was why the latter formed her own political party. Last week, the lady launched her manifesto; ready to contest the 2020 general election. The battle line is drawn and only God knows how the grounds will be. As for me, I will be watching from the firmament, where angels dwell.
From Eric Bawah