Kofi Jumah urges Prez Mills to pull out of NDC flag bearer race

He said the NPP hijacked the airwaves, both radio and TV the whole day when they were electing their flag bearer.
He also criticized the NPP for using state funds to orchestrate their campaign in 2008 and turning around to accuse President Mills of doing the same.

He described Communications Director of the NPP, Nana Akomea, as a disgrace to the youth because he does not exhibit the true virtues of a youth leader but rather issues uninformed statement on behalf of the NPP.

Yaw Boateng Gyan noted that President Mills is not interested in using state money to fuel his campaign.

Story: Samuel Mantey/ Adom News/Ghana

We are not prepared to be anybody’s running mate – Josiah Aryeh

A leading member of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings’ campaign team, Dr Josiah Aryeh has denied speculations that the former First Lady is likely to stand by and become the running mate for Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah.

Dr Aryeh emphatically stated on Dwaso Nsem on Adom FM Wednesday that Nana Konadu “is not prepared to be anybody’s running mate.”

According to the former General Secretary of the NDC, the Konadu camp is not afraid of competition for the flagbearership race of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Dr. Aryeh added that they don’t believe in coalitions because “coalitions muddy the waters of competition and we should not be afraid of competition.”

He welcomed Dr Spio-Garbrah’s decision to contest saying that now that the race is now a three tier they must prepare for a good race.

Commenting on whether they are threatened by the crowd that cheered on President Mills last Thursday when he went to pick his nomination forms, Dr Aryeh said the President could have challenged Nana Konadu’s campaign by substance and not merely by the large number of people who were to support him.

He said the NDC delegates are more discerning now and will vote for the right candidate as the leader of the party.

Dr Aryeh further stated that given a level playing ground Mrs. Rawlings will easily win the elections.

Story: Samuel Mantey/ Adom News/ Ghana

NPP BLAST PRESIDENT MILLS FOR SHOW OF POWER

The NPP has blasted President Mills for the show of power when he picked nomination forms last Thursday.
The party noted that thousands of NDC supporters and over 60 Mass Transport buses were mobilized to take over the streets of Accra for hours on that day.
The Communication Director of NPP, Nana Akomea says the public broadcaster Ghana Television was also hijacked for hours at a reported cost of GH C 18,000 (C180 million).
He says thousands of innocent residents of Accra were held in heavy traffic under the scorching sun for hours and prevented from going about their normal business and social activities.
Nana Akomea says this is not the first time Professor Mills had picked nomination forms so it was strange how this one came with all the euphoria.

CAN DR. SPIO GARBRAH UNITE NDC?

Chief Executive Officer of the Commonwealth Telecommunications Organization (CTO) Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah resigned as a Vice Chairman of the governing National Democratic Congress and picked up nomination forms to challenge President Mills and former first Lady Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings for the NDC flagbearer slot.
It could be recall that Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah contested the 2006 presidential primaries but lost to Prof Mills, who then went on to win the 2008 general elections.
The race for the NDC slot by the two other contestants has brought internal rankling in the Party leading to the President Mills and the Rawlingses faction.
But today, a delegation of seven tendered in Dr Spio-Garbrah’s resignation letter as Vice-Chair, and picked his forms today, May 10, the deadline for picking of nominations
We are joined by a Political Analyst form the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) to look at the chances of Dr. Spio- Garbrah.
so can Dr Spio-Garbrah really unite the divided NDC?

Mills plans to use GHS 90m for campaign - Herbert Mensah

Former Chief Executive Officer of Kumasi Asante Kotoko, Herbert Mensah, has disclosed that security tapes he has had access to have revealed that President Mills’ campaign team plans to use about GHS90 million to fuel his campaign for flag bearer of the NDC.

Speaking on Adom FM's Dwaso Nsem programme on Tuesday morning, Mr. Mensah said he and former President Rawlings discovered the information from security tapes they got from the Castle.

He was however not willing to go into details on the matter such as where the funds will be coming from, stating that at the appropriate time, they will come out with the full details.

Herbert Mensah who is also a staunch supporter of former President Jerry John Rawlings and his wife Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, said looking at the experience the former First Lady has especially in governance, he will not be surprised if she wins the flagbearership contest of the NDC at its July Congress.

Herbert Mensah reiterated that the NDC is a democratic party therefore any qualified person can decide to pick nominations to contest.

However, Ghana’s Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Victor Smith challenged Herbert Mensah’s allegations describing the story as a means to damage the reputation, image and the credibility of the President.

Ambassador Smith, who was once the special aide to the Rawlingses said such negative information can drive potential investors out of the country and challenged Mr. Mensah to release the ‘so-called’ security tapes to confirm his claims.

He also accused Herbert Mensah of spying on the President which according to him is a security threat to the nation and called on the National Security apparatus to investigate the matter and bring those guilty of spying on the President to book.

He advised party members not to quickly jump to the media to disclose crucial information that could retard the progress of the party.

Ambassador Smith further called for a clean campaign towards the party’s Congress devoid of insults and cheap propaganda.



Story by Samuel Mantey/Adom News/Ghana