The call by a pressure group purported to be aligned to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) for the party’s General-Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, to resign, has resulted in a threat of sanction.
The NDC leadership has fingered the party’s Deputy General-Secretary, Koku Anyidoho, who is aspiring to unseat Mr. Asiedu Nketia, as the brain behind the group.
As a result, the leadership of NDC has threatened to punish Mr. Anyidoho.
The party believes Mr. Anyidoho is making attempts to betray the NDC to its opponents.
In a press statement said to have been issued by its Chairman, Kofi Portuphy, NDC accused the loudmouth Koku Anyidoho of being the face behind an NDC pressure group calling itself “Young Democratic Forces.”
News monitored on Peacefmonline.com suggests that the leadership of the party viewed such actions as a show of disloyalty to the cause and vision of the party.
The release added: “The party bemoans the involvement of some high ranking executives in this grand scheme to mudsling fellow comrades under the possible influence of the opposition NPP.”
“This gives credence to the long-held position by true members of the current crop of executives that some of those we trusted were bought mercenaries of our sworn political opponents. On behalf of the true members of the NDC, and on my own behalf, as Chairman and one of few long serving stewards of the NDC, I call on all to condemn and reject with disdain, the false and malicious contents of the press statement” by the “so-called pro-NDC group named ‘Young Democratic Forces’ on the upcoming National Delegates’ Congress to elect National Executive Officers”, the statement said.
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It is believed that the group has been formed to frustrate the party’s General-Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, and the hard work of the NDC in the recovery process from the 2016 election defeat.
It would be recalled that the group held a press conference in Accra recently, calling on Mr. Asiedu Nketia to resign as NDC General-Secretary on the grounds that he “misled” ex-President Mahama in 2016 leading to the shameful defeat of the NDC to the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Even though former President Mahama who was the face of failed NDC in 2016 is still seeking to contest the flagbearership race of party, the group is fighting hard against Mr. Asiedu Nketia.
In the release, NDC blamed the recent happenings in the party on the activities of some high-ranking executives to incite fellow members against the party.
‘Reject Asiedu Nketia’
At a recent press conference in Accra, the ‘Young Democratic Forces’ stated that it would be a “senseless” decision to re-elect Mr. Asiedu Nketia as the General-Secretary of the NDC.
According to the Young Democratic Forces (YDF), that was because Mr. Asiedu Nketia woefully “failed the NDC in the 2016 presidential elections which saw the party losing power to then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It therefore urged delegates in the upcoming National Congress of the party to vote out Mr. Asiedu Nketia popularly known as General Mosquito if he fails to resign his post.
It also called on Mr. Portuphy to resign his post to pave way for new breed of leaders to take over the NDC to ensure “victory 2020.”
The group’s call came on the heels of a similar call by the immediate-past Central Regional Chairman of the NDC, Allotey Jacobs, for Mr. Asiedu Nketia to be voted out as his deputy, vociferous Koku Anyidoho, has picked nomination forms to contest him.
Addressing the media on Wednesday in Accra, convener of YDF, Amenga-Etego SaCut Deniz, said the embattled General-Secretary was not up to date with electoral issues in Ghana, which he claimed resulted in the failure of the NDC to collate the results of the 2016 elections in real time as the NPP and Electoral Commission did.
He alleged on behalf of the YDF that Mr. Asiedu Nketia “deliberately worked against John Mahama’s winning the 2016 Elections by misleading him to support splinter groups and ignore the party structures,” warning that “going into 2020 elections, the NDC will need leaders, not misleaders.”
According to him, the group has taken the firm position that the NDC lost the 2016 election “partly because we had a leadership at party and government level that was thinking behind the times.”
No way!
But the NDC in the statement signed by Mr. Portuphy admonished the party delegates and members to ignore the innuendos of the pressure group, saying “the party has come a long way after the very embarrassing defeat in the 2016 polls.”
“We recognize the contribution of our General-Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia – against whom the statement is targeted . . .” it said, adding “we, therefore, categorically state after thorough scrutiny that the said press statement carries no weight aside the deliberate attempt to injure the exemplary reputation of the party’s hardworking General-Secretary”.
The party gave an assurance that “in due course, the front liners and beneficiaries will face sanctions under the provisions of the NDC constitution”.
Anyidoho Fights Back!
Meanwhile, Mr. Anyidoho is said to have fired back at the leadership of the party apparently over moves to sanction him.
In what can be best be described as a counter-statement, Mr. Anyidoho accused the party’s leadership of ignoring calls by grassroots of the NDC nationwide to conduct a massive shakeup in the party’s leadership at the top.
He also accused some “latter day saints” of NDC, whom he claimed worked in the camp of the late Vice-President Aliu Mahama against the presidential bid of the late Professor Mills, of scheming to take over the party.
“It is without denying the fact that the rank and file of the NDC are sounding a deafening call for a massive shakeup at the highest level of the party’s structure,” he said.
According to him, “such desire by the grassroots cannot be premised on baseless whimsical thinking as some people will have us believe.”
The vociferous deputy General-Secretary averred “it is based on deep introspection oozing out as a by-product of the despondency and reckless disregard for the unbridled party faithful.”
He said “it is therefore surprising that the same people who brought upon us this apparent despair and unbearably difficult life in opposition are engaged in a grand scheme to entrench their foothold in the party to keep us in opposition for a long time.”
According to him, “This is the time the NDC must close its ranks. The NDC must filter itself clean of people who now surprisingly portray themselves hallowed bootlickers of former President Mahama, yet not very long ago were operating from the wardrobes of Vice-President Aliu Mahama against the Presidential bid of H.E. President John Evans Atta-Mills.”
Source: dailyguideafrica.com
