The National Democratic Party, NDP, has accused the opposition National Democratic Congress of shedding crocodile tears over the death of former President Jerry John Rawlings.
According to the party which was founded by Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, wife of the late former president, the NDC has no basis to speak for their late founder or use his name to secure votes in the upcoming elections.
The NDP further stated that “Some events in the past show that there are attempts by some elements in the NDC to discrete the legacy of Rawlings. These acts are been perpetrated by persons who have shown a desire to constantly humiliate Jerry John Rawlings and his family”.
The relationship between the former President and his party the NDC deteriorated overtime following the assumption of the party to power in 2009.
The sour relationship caused Mr. Rawlings to openly attack and chastise the party he founded over what he described as a deviation from the social, probity and accountability principles of the party.
Following his death, the NDC has held vigils across the country to mourn their late founder, a move which has been criticized by the governing New Patriotic Party.
Addressing a press conference on Monday, General Secretary of the NDP Alhaji Mohammed Frimpong said Jerry John Rawlings was disrespected by the party he founded when he was alive, and therefore must keep their distance over matters of his death and its political fortunes.
“For the past decade these elements led principally by the Ahwio’s and the Mahama group orchestrated series of coordinated attacks aimed at destroying the legacy of Jerry John Rawlings, this they did by sponsoring political neophytes JJ himself aptly described as babies with sharp teeth to unleash barrages of insults and spew damning political rhetoric on the persons of Mr. and Mrs. Rawlings,” he said.
Alhaji Mohamamed Frimpong added that “In the weeks leading up to his demise, President Rawlings made it known to all persons he had meetings with that he was extremely heartbroken that neither the leadership of the NDC or the flagbearer had made any statement in defense of the founder or to correct the lies said in the book “Working with Rawlings. Today the political henchmen who were utilized for such diabolic assignments have been rewarded with high positions in the NDC and the others are expecting big positions under a Mahama government”.
Meanwhile, the National Democratic Congress has charged its communicators and members across the country not to comment on the press conference of the NDP and its content. The party believes the press conference and accusations against its flagbearer John Dramani Mahama are aimed at diverting attention from corruption related issues under the NPP.
