The Northern Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress Mohammed Abdul-Salam has dismissed a recent prediction by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) that the party can win the 2024 presidential election only if a new presidential candidate other than John Dramani Mahama is presented.
A report released by EIU on Friday, March 19, suggested that although the NDC will win the general elections, the party stands a better chance with a new candidate.
In the 25-page document, the Economist Intelligence Unit asserted that a fresh candidate would better pull the magic for the opposition party in the next election.
But speaking on The State of Our Nation on Dreamz fm, Mohammed Abdul-Salam said the claims of the EIU is flawed since the country has just come out of an election and there cannot be a basis for such a conclusion. He stressed that former President John Dramani Mahama is the ultimate candidate to win the 2024 elections.
According to him, the assertion of the EIU is an indication that the former President is still the best bet for the party, while accusing the global business intelligence unit of doing the bidding of the New Patriotic Party.
“Our candidate for 2024 is His Excellency John Dramani Mahama. From the position of the EIU, it reinforces the NDC’s belief that we need to position John Mahama for victory 2024,” he said.
Mr Salam argued that the performance of the Nana Addo led administration at the end of eight years of rule will provide an opportunity to for a better comparison of records with John Mahama’s four year tenure.
The NDC scribe further served notice that the rank and file of the party will cause the 2020 flagbearer to still lead the party in the next election in case he decides to opt out.
“Even if former President Mahama announces today that he is no longer interested in being flagbearer of NDC, the rank and file will cause him to be a candidate of the party in 2024 election. He (Mahama) owes himself but we owe him more. We are not even considering any alternative,” he added.
While calling for the party to take steps to avoid a presidential primary ahead of the next election, he opined that “The NDC will not even contemplate going for flagbearer election. We will declare His Excellency John Dramani Mahama ahead of that period to lead the NDC to victory in 2024”.
