Head of Accra-based Joy FM and JoyNews TV’s Political Desk, Evans Mensah has opined that the recent forum organized by cadres of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and their opened criticism of the leadership of the opposition party is an indication of disunity in the party.
According to Evans Mensah, the actions of the cadres, who are mostly senior members of the party and loyalist of the founder of the NDC, are in conflict with that of the leadership of the party.
He said while the leadership believe the party and its presidential candidate were cheated in the December 7 polls, the cadres are of the view that the party lost the election due to the failures of the party’s leadership including its 2020 Flagbearer, John Mahama and are poised to have leadership account for their stewardship.
This, in the view of the renowned broadcaster, is a sign of disunity within the biggest opposition party which could potentially worsen the performance of the party in the next general elections if it is not resolved amicably.
“This is a parallel agenda which stands in conflict with the party’s established leadership structure. The approaches are so diametrically opposed to each other. It only going to lead to conflict.
If you read what they resolved to do at the Tema meeting which include launching a campaign to hold leadership accountable, it is in clear conflict with the established leadership that still believe that they won the election. According to Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, John Mahama and all the other leaders, they won the elections but they were cheated out of it. But this group says they didn’t win the election, they were not cheated, they lost because the party is in crisis,” he stated.
“What they are doing only make the NDC’s problems worst. It doesn’t make it better. You cannot convince me that they have elected leadership and the flagbearer in one meeting and then you hold another meeting elsewhere that in essence is to hold the other leadership accountable and you criticize them, you called the party lame etc. and you say you can exist in harmony? That is just not possible,” he concluded.
On Saturday, April 18, 2021, the United Cadre Front and other groups affiliated to the NDC held a forum in Tema where senior members of the party including Dr. Benjamin Kunbour, Dan Abodakpi and Goosie Tanoh criticized the leadership of the party for the its defeat in the 2020 Elections.
The forum dubbed “Securing the NDC’s future” was held at a time the national and regional executives of the party including its 2020 presidential candidate were also holding a retreat in Ho in a bid to reorganize the party and push for electoral reforms as they believe the electoral processes were skewed to favor the NPP.
But the stalwarts of the party at the Tema forum, who took turns to diagnose the party’s problems and proffer solutions, believe the party’s defeat in the December 7 polls was due to leadership failure and the neglect of the grassroots of the party.
They described the party in its current state as a lame horse incapable of winning any election and called on leadership to cure the lameness of the party instead of attempting to impose a presidential candidate on the party.
Dr. Benjamin Kunbour later in an interview accused some elements within the party who are yet to account for their stewardship of the party of hurriedly pushing for Mr. Mahama to lead the party again.
He described the push for the former president to lead the NDC into the 2024 elections as childish and premature.
The former Interior Minister and MP for Nandom has since come under a barrage of attacks from some members of the NDC with former MP for Adentan Constituency, Adu Asare questioning his qualification as a PhD holder.
