NDC CHAIRMAN GOES BONKERS!

·      Seeks to Replicate Dirty NPP Style of Campaign for Self Cleansing

The Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress, (NDC), Mr. Joseph Kwabena Ade Cooker, might have had something up his sleeves: He is tactically employing a move to outsmart everyone in the NDC including the President, John Mahama, whom he has little affection for.

 Ade Cooker, conscious of the ongoing dirty campaign in the New Patriotic Party to impose the twice defeated Presidential candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo on the main opposition party for another dig, has granted an interview to one Kobby Asmah as captured on page 17 of ‘Daily Graphic’ dated Monday, September 9, 2013; in which he purports to be rooting for President John Mahama to run unopposed on NDC’s ticket, come 2016.

“We in the NDC will not allow anybody to contest the President in 2016, and even if party members disagree, I personally will oppose that and make sure the President goes unopposed”, the Daily Graphic has quoted Ade Cooker as saying. 

But rather than to be excited by this, many NDC supporters, particularly in the Greater Accra Region who see Ade Cooker as an accident waiting to happen, think his move was to use the President’s name to win back some favour and improve his chances of making any impact in the next party executives’ election.

 The out-of-favour Regional Chairman who openly took a swipe at the President, accusing him of not consulting the party while appointing DCEs and MCEs, to the distaste of many party loyalists, was quoted as saying “the President is best placed and most experienced candidate to run on the party’s ticket for the 2016 polls”

Some party youth who wish to remain anonymous for obvious reasons, however, reacted to his interview in anger, wondering what Ade Cooker hopes to gain by stirring unnecessary debates in the NDC, when he ought to have known that ‘whether or not President Mahama should contest 2016 unopposed’ is the least the NDC should be talking about at this time.

“This is preposterous, who says anybody will contest President Mahama in 2016?” an angry party organizer bursts out in reaction to Ade-Cooker’s interview.

He noted, Mr. Ade Cooker’s supposed interview with the Daily Graphic is calculated to plunge the NDC into unnecessary debate when the party should be focusing on how to achieve its election pledges made to the electorate.

According to a senior party activist, “It is unwise to make such a statement at this time when every party member is praying for the government to work hard and make up for the lost incurred as a result of the NPP’s election petition case. It is even more difficult to comprehend in what context Mr. Ade Cooker sought to grant that interview”

Some party activists took to the social media to condemn Ade-Cooker’s behavior with some saying “he is trying to count on President Mahama’s popularity to retain his position as the Greater Accra Chairman of the party,   “He is an opportunist. We will vote him out”, “Ade Cooker talks too much”, they said.

But whilst some are pissed with the beleaguered Party Chair’s acrobatic interview with Daily Graphic, some are of the view that ignoring him would be the best if the party should avoid any unnecessary controversy over 2016 at this time.

One facebooker, puts it this way; “inasmuch as I agree Mr. Cooker’s comments were ill-timed and may be needless, I feel our party has surmounted the sub-culture of extreme antagonism of persons perceived to hold dissenting opinions. I strongly posit that, contrary views should be respected and dealt with in a manner that would not create rancor within our ranks. I urge comrades not to cast innuendos at such persons, but rather remonstrate diligently“

Meanwhile, National headquarters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has been rejecting unnecessary campaign by its Greater Accra Regional Chairman, Joseph Ade Coker, that President John Mahama will go unopposed in the 2016 presidential election, describing Coker’s behavior as irresponsible and uncalled for. 

Although Mr. Coker vowed in an interview with Joy News that he will ensure that President Mahama goes unopposed when the party gets ready to contest the 2016 polls, a Deputy National General Secretary of the party, Mr. George Lawson told Joy News that the statement should be disregarded.

He described Mr. Coker's comment as "irresponsible" which has the potential to distract the government's attention.

Mr. Lawson said the government is now focused on delivering on promises made to Ghanaians and admitted that the "economy has challenges" with about 70% of the national revenue going into salaries.

He said it is, therefore, "too early to start with this irresponsible statement" that Mahama will go unopposed.

The Deputy General Secretary maintains that for the NDC to retain power in 2016, it will largely depend on how the government delivers on its promises. 

Below is published the purported interview granted by Mr. Ade Coker to Daily Graphic:

 Ade Coker roots for Mahama in 2016

 Mr. Ade Coker, the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has thrown his full support for President John Dramani Mahama to contest the NDC presidential candidate position in 2016 unopposed.

He said the President is best placed and most experienced candidate to run on the party's ticket for the 2016 polls.

Confirming this to the Daily Graphic in a telephone chat yesterday, he said, the party would, therefore, not allow anybody to contest him for the presidential slot in 2016.

According to Mr. Coker, "We in the NDC will not allow anybody to contest the President in 2016, and even if party members disagrees, I personally will oppose that and make sure the President goes unopposed".

He explained that the party would maintain the President for another four-year term unopposed so he could achieve his constitutionally guaranteed eight years as President.

Under President Mahama, Mr. Coker said, Ghana had made significant progress in the areas of agriculture, health, education and infrastructural development.

In the view of Mr. Coker, the way the President took all the bashing and managed to bring an end to the energy crisis put him in pole position to retain the presidency for the NDC come the 2016 elections.

The NDC, Mr. Coker pointed out, would win the 2016 elections if only President Mahama was retained as flagbearer; so there was no need allowing anybody to challenge him.

Mr. Coker contended President Mahama was humble and stood tall among other presidential hopeful within the NDC, having served as MP, Minister of State, Vice-President and currently President.