NDC race: Vote for Bagbin – Twifo Chiefs tell NDC delegates

Some Traditional and Religious Leaders in the Central Region are calling for a change in the leadership of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), particularly, the leader since the candidate who led the party to the 2016 elections performed poorly.

In their view, once His Excellency John Dramani Mahama who led the party from mid-2012 to 2016 has had his turn to govern the country, and having been assessed by Ghanaians, it would be prudent for the umbrella family to elect a new candidate who would look more appealing to the electorates in order to win the 2020 general elections.

They added that having assessed the party from afar, the NDC has got more competent people to lead the party in the 2020 general elections, stressing that there is no time to look back.

Twelve candidates have so far publicly declared their intent to contest the flagbearer position of the NDC which has been scheduled to take place on December 7, 2018.

Among the twelve candidates are Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Former President John Dramani Mahama, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Sylvester Mensah, Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah; a former Trade and Industry Minister; Former Vice Chancellor of the University for Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Prof. Joshua Alabi, Mr. Goosie Tanoh, a Banker and an oil and gas consultant, Nasirudeen Iddrisu

The rest are, the MP for Cape Coast South, Hon Ricketts Hagan, Stephen Atubiga, member of the NDC communications team; Elipklim Agbemava, a lawyer; and David Doste Kwame Kuwadah.

Among the candidates vying for the flagbearer position of the party, the chiefs noted that they could only bank their hopes on the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Hon. Alban Sumana Kingsford Bagbin, who has been tried and tested and proven to be a great leader in serving the people of Nadowli/Kaleo and Ghana at large.

“You can’t come back and say that you are going to correct yourself. Time is running and so once you’ve had your time, let others come in and do what they could for the country because there are more competent people in the NDC and one of them is Hon. Bagbin. Some of us who already know Hon Bagbin, knows that he can drive this country to the promise land. It is my prayer that God grants him good health and wisdom”, noted the Omanhene of Twifi-Praso, Obrempong Appiah Nuamah II when Hon. Bagbin paid a courtesy call on him at his palace in Twifo-Mampong on Friday, November 9, 2018.

The Omanhene of Twifo-Atti Mokwa Traditional Council, Oseadeyo Kwesi Kenin IV, also in a brief remarks after the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament had paid a courtesy call him on same day urged delegates in the NDC to think twice over who to vote for among the flagbearer hopefuls when the party goes to the polls on December 7, 2018.

He said he is very saddened in his heart when the previous government denied him the opportunity to work on a portion of his own land as a timber contractor despite the numerous petitions he made. The land was seized and given to a brother of the former President, John Dramani Mahama.

He also bemoaned the situation where 55% of royalties from the stool land is paid to the Assemblies and when it comes to disbursing those funds for various developmental projects, the Stool occupants are never consulted.

He urged Hon. Bagbin to stay focus and work hard to win the primaries. I assured him of his support but cautioned not to forget nananom or the traditional leaders when he subsequently becomes President of the Ghana.

Hon. Bagbin currently, touring the Central Region, had gone to pay courtesy calls on the traditional leaders and to seek for their permission to campaign and interact with NDC delegates in their traditional councils.

Hon. Bagbin had proposed to the Chiefs how intends to strengthen the country’s, national and local governance systems by recognizing and putting the traditional and religious leaders at their rightful place to accelerate development in the country..

He said the neglect of chiefs and religious leaders in the governance of the country is impacting negatively on the development of the country, stressing that a vote for him as President of the Republic will ensure that things are done properly by putting these leaders at the forefront of development.