A flagbearer hopeful of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Augustus Obuadum 'Goosie' Tanoh has responded to critics who accused him of betraying the party at a crucial time.

According to the former flagbearer of the defunct National Reform Party (NRP), the NDC is not a football team which primary objective is just to be winning elections.

He added that the formation of the NRP was out of intimidation, victimisation and misinformation of members of the Reform Movement in the NDC that were publicly pressuring the leadership of the party to “be faithful to NDC’s core values after quiet in-house advocacy had failed to yeild results”.

He said those who broke away from the NDC to form the National Reform Party only did so because they believed that was the only way to be true to the “NDC’s principles; to put country before Party; and to trigger a rethink within the NDC itself”.

“Obviously, a campaign demanding that NDC leaders uphold Party constitutional principles and values cannot intelligently be described as a betrayal of NDC. NDC’s historical mission is not just to win elections for elections sake; it is not a football team. What NDC does with State power, matters materially for over 30 million people”, he noted in a rejoinder to an article headlined ‘Was Reform Movement A Betrayal of the NDC and published by www.citipressonline.com.

Mr. Tanoh explaining further said the formation of the Reform Movement sought to defend participatory democracy, probity and accountability within the NDC and not about personalities.

That notwithstanding, he said the Reform was also not formed in response to the Swedru Declaration and therefore was not against the candidature of the Prof. John Evans Atta Mills who was chosen by then President of the Republic, Flt. Lt. Jerry John Rawlings, to lead the NDC.

Goosie Tanoh broke away from the NDC prior to the 2000 election in a misunderstanding over who leads the party.

He formed the Reform Party which failed to make any real impact in the election which was eventually won by the New Patriotic Party’s JA Kufuor.

Tanoh makes a return to the party he resigned from with the hope of reviving the grassroots and assuring members of a trusted leadership.