Johnson Asiedu Nketia, incumbent general secretary of the National Democratic Congress, appears to be in a dogfight with his deputy, Koko Anyidoho, as the two battle for the general secretary position in the party’s upcoming national executive elections.
Johnson Asiedu Nketia, incumbent general secretary of the National Democratic Congress, appears to be in a dogfight with his deputy, Koko Anyidoho, as the two battle for the general secretary position in the party’s upcoming national executive elections.
Asiedu Nketia is accusing Koku Anyidoho and his assigns of fabricating lies about him, first, by claiming that he (Nketia) had given him his blessing to contest the general secretary position because he was not going to seek re-election and, second, by lying again that he(Nketia) had sent a delegation to beg him not to contest him.
Nketia angry
Speaking in an interview on Rainbow Radio yesterday, Mr Nketia could not hide his anger at the development, insisting that he had not sent any delegation to Mr Anyidoho to beg and impress upon him to step down from the contest for him to go unopposed.
They started with a story of me blessing Koku but after I denied it, they changed the narrative and now engaging in this new way of fabricating lies,” Angry Asiedu Nketia stated.
Koku snubs offer
He, however, confessed that he met Mr Anyidoho to discuss an offer of making him his deputy if he(Anyidoho) decided not to contest him, and in the event of he (Nketia) being retained as the NDC’s general secretary.
That offer was flatly turned down by Mr Anyidoho, but Asiedu Nketia says he was not bothered about the fact that his deputy snubbed his generous offer.
Making allusion to the supposed lie that he had given his blessing to his deputy, Mr Nketia maintained that he had never whispered to Koku Anyidoho that he would not seek re-election for the NDC general secretary position.
Koku apologises
He claimed that Mr Anyidoho recently led a group of elders of the NDC to his residence where he rendered an unqualified apology to him for lying that he had received blessings from him to contest general secretary position.
Among the party elders who accompanied Koku Anyidoho were Dr Carl Mark and Mr Kofi Attoh, according to Asiedu Nketia.
Koku won’t be bought
Meanwhile, Koku Anyidoho continues to give the impression that efforts are being made, apparently by Asiedu Nketia and his assigns, to buy him out of the contest.
In a radio interview yesterday, the deputy general secretary of the NDC insisted he could never be bought by anybody to rescind his decision to contest for the general secretary position.
“My conscience is clear and my heart is clean. I am speaking to the delegates and they know what they want. Sir John once said ‘fear delegates’ but I will say ‘don’t fear delegates but respect delegates and don’t underestimate the delegates’,’’ Mr Anyidoho stated.
Mr Anyidoho is championing “a party first” message, discipline and respect for party structures. He believes the NDC should no longer allow sprinter groups to market and manage the party’s presidential candidate as it happened in the 2016 elections and led to its ignoble and excruciating defeat.
“The party structures must be allowed to work and, God willing, when I am elected as General Secretary, I will not serve on any board when we win power in 2020. When we win power, I will not serve on any board. The party will stand strong and be supreme. The integrity of the country must be maintained. I will not serve on any board,” he added.
