Even prez Mills allowed others to contest him - Anyidoho 'fights' imposition of candidates

Former Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Samuel Koku Anyidoho has described persons calling for others to contest leadership positions as hollow-hearted members.

According to him, there should be no attempt for people to be imposed on members of the party.

He posited that candidates should not be imposed on the party as the norm used to be since 1992 when the NDC was formed.

In his view, the imposition of candidates should never be countenanced.

He recounted how late Mills allowed people to contest him even as a sitting president.

“If you ask me as a true and loyal NDC member, at all times, let there be a contest. President Mills even as a sitting President was contested. When he was being contested, did he ever complain?

"I was his spokesperson; did I ever go after anybody for contesting President Atta Mills? He threatened to dismiss me if I had gone after Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings.

“…for me, any attempt by anybody today to advocate the imposition of a flagbearer, are from persons who are not dyed-in-the-wool NDC members; they should go back to where they came from. Anybody who says that the NDC should impose a candidate on the party is not a true member of the NDC . . . because true NDC members in 2000 decided to move away from this imposition; they don’t want impositions of candidates any longer,” he added.

Commenting on the reports that Dr. Kwabena Duffour would be contesting in the NDC primaries, he said “But if you ask me, again talking about Mills’ legacy, and a certain Dr. Kwabena Duffuor was part of that legacy equation when it comes to the economy; the 34 months’ single-digit inflation, the introduction of single spine pay structure within the challenge the country faced at that time and then the inherited debts that Atta Mills Administration came to meet, and being able to reach out to the international donor communities to be able to look favourably upon Ghana. Ghana became the shining star in terms of economic management because Prof. Mills had his own economic advisory team,” he mentioned.

He said Dr. Kwabena Duffuor is among the people with the ability to succeed; thus, he has established businesses and that makes him possess the qualities to lead the NDC.