Ignore fake reports; I never called Mahama 'incompetent' and 'corrupt' - Spio-Garbrah

A flagbearer hopeful of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah has refuted claims that he referred to Former President Mahama as incompetent and corrupt.

 According to a report by newswiregh.com, Mr. Spio-Garbrah said “the reports are deliberately misleading with their headlines about what I said.”

He clarified that his words were a reflection of what delegates of the party had mentioned to him as part of the reasons why the party lost power hence, it’s erroneous for anyone to attribute the claims to him specifically.

“Those are allegations raised by NPP which are being cited by our NDC delegates and which I am also quoting. So I haven’t myself described the NDC government of which I was a part as being either corrupt or incompetent. I’m only analyzing the reasons that led to the NDC’s defeat in 2016. But even the Kwesi Botchwey report will have similar information is it. It won’t be that Kwesi Botchwey is claiming that the NDC government was corrupt or incompetent but this is what the people of Ghana were told and those were some of the reasons the people of Ghana voted against the NDC,” Spio-Garbrah said.

He added, “Flowing from those NPP accusations, the delegates are saying because of those reasons, it would be good for the party if we can present any candidate who cannot be reasonably described as either corrupt or incompetent so it is up to the NDC to identify such a candidate and present such a candidate to the electorate and it is my view that I can be describe as not corrupt and incompetent. Other candidates can come and present themselves in the same manner but I have not mentioned anybody’s name in the NDC as being corrupt or incompetent so that is all a fabrication by various media houses.”

Speaking on Accra based radio station, 3FM, in an earlier interview Dr. Spio-Garbrah stated delegates are willing to vote for someone they are sure can battle the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2020 general elections.

He said; “…it is time to get fresh, re-energized blood into the system for a new and improved NDC; people who can be sent to the battlefield, and in the case of the flagbearer, a person who cannot be accused by the NPP of being corrupt or incompetent, which were the two main charges that the NPP leveled against us,”.

Meanwhile, the NDC has slated December 7, 2018, for the election of its flagbearer for the 2020 presidential election.