Former President John Dramani Mahama has launched a campaign against a former National Democratic Congress Member of Parliament for the Garu constituency who is contesting in the 2020 parliamentary elections as an independent candidate.
Dominic Azumah Azimbe, a five-term former MP decided to go independent after losing the parliamentary primaries of the party in 2019.
According to him, his decision to go independent is a result of unfair treatment by the party.
Mr. Azimbe was also accused by the party of refusing to reconcile with his contender Albert Alalzuga Akuka when he lost the primaries in 2015.
Addressing party supporters in Garu, the NDC flagbearer expressed his disappointment at the decision of the onetime NDC MP to go independent.
He asserted that the former regional campaign manager of the NDC for the 2016 elections would have been rewarded with a position in the next government of the National Democratic Congress but that has been scuttled by the move to go independent.
Mr. Mahama wondered why such a decision was taken by Mr. Azimbe when he could have accepted defeat and reconciled with the party for a collective victory.
“God’s time is the best. Sometimes you want something but God does not give it to you. In 2016 I stood for an election, I wanted to continue my second term as President but God did not give it to me. So, I handed over to the next person and I wished him well and said take it, God be with you. God has time for everybody,” the former President said.
He continued: “So if you go and contest and you don’t win, it is not the end of life. Time will come when your time will come again but especially in a situation where you have been there before and you were supported by people to go there. If it is somebody else’s time and you go for primaries…and for somebody who is our friend and comrade. I have been in parliament with him before, I know him very well. I just want to tell you that the message they are giving that NDC is divided; NDC is not divided. Today we are more together than ever before. He (Dominic Azimbe) is our friend and he was in parliament with me but when it comes to principle, principle is principle. If you are NDC, please don’t vote for Honorable Dominic Azumah. Don’t”.
