Dr Kwabena Duffuor, Former Minister of Finance, has touted the popularity of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and described claims Ashantis do not like the party as propaganda.
“The party once polled 33 per cent in the Ashanti Region, but the party should target 40 per cent in 2024 to stop the eight agenda of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) because Ashantis like NDC, it is just propaganda that Ashantis do not like the NDC, and former President Jerry Rawlings is the only NDC candidate that polled 33 per cent in the Ashanti Region,” he noted.
Dr Duffuor, who was the former Governor of the Bank of Ghana, stressed on the need for the party to target 40 per cent of votes in Ashanti to stop the continuous win by the NPP, which he believes would not happen if he becomes the flag bearer of the NDC in 2024.
He said he would welcome a decision of the delegate of the party to make him the presidential candidate in the next general elections. After all, he had been in politics for a number of years now and had held key positions such as a Minister of Finance. Currently, he intends to run as the presidential candidate for the NDC if given the nod.
Revealing why former President John Mahama, is not part of his ‘make NDC stronger’ campaign, Dr Duffuor explained that he was ‘too big’ to be part and he needed to be respected. More importantly, the campaign was to support and assist the party from grassroots.
“It is dear to my heart, we must strengthen the branches because we have huge challenges. We should fund and strengthen the branches to be able to do the jobs for us because that is where the power and the strength are. I will welcome decision by delegates of the NDC to make me presidential candidate in the next general election,” he intimated.
He described accusations from cross-section of NDC members, supporters and sympathisers that he was a mole of the NPP working against former President Mahama as unfair because he was nurturing flag bearership ambition and working to distract him, but insisted that his history was undisputed.
“The claim is wicked, I pray those people will put their thinking caps on, it is unfair, who will serve a country for four years and will not accept anything; no salary, no allowances, no ex-gratia? Why will I be a mole when money is not my problem. The late former President Rawlings, as far back as 2018, asked me to contest for NDC flag bearership, but I declined because the time was not right, and the only reason I am doing so now is because I think the party can still do better, and it must involve everyone,” Dr Duffuor disclosed.
However, he dismissed the notion that age should be a factor when choosing people to become flag bearer of a party, and wondered why age should matter, rather focus should be on what the person brings to the fore and capabilities of delivering when given the job. –ghanaweb.com
