Former Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has stated that the National Democratic Congress needs reorganization and not a leader imposed on the party.

According to him, a leader can only come out of a good organization hence the need for the party to continue focusing on reorganizing the party instead of talks of a new leader.

He stated emphatically that the party in its current state is disorganized, and that they need a strong reorganization and not a battle for positions.

“We are not there yet, why are people so interested in candidacy and leadership? We are reorganizing the party to make it stronger, to make it a voice that reflects the mode of the people. So I don’t think that it is time for leadership yet because the leader will come from a reorganized party, not a leader imposed on a party that is disorganized.”

He continued that “a reorganized strong party at the branch level will elect the leader that represents the best interest of our country.”

After about a year of being defeated by the ruling NPP government, a number of high and stalwart NDC member have expressed interest in vying for the flagbearership position at the party.

Amissah-Arthur is however not happy about the scuffle for the top position as he insists on organizing the party first.

The former Vice president made the remark after he and his wife, Mrs. Matilda Amissah-Arthur, made some donations to Children on admission at the Ho Regional and Municipal hospitals in the Volta Region last Monday.

Mr. Amissah-Arthur, who was Vice President and then running mate to John Dramani Mahama were defeated in the December 2016 general elections.

Former boss of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Sylvester Mensah, former Vice-Chancellor of the University for Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Prof. Joshua Alabi, former Trades and Industry Minister, Dr. Ekow Spio Garbrah, former Member of Parliament for La Dadekotopon Nii Amasah Namoale, Member of Parliament for Nadoli Kaleo, Alban Bagbin and Stephen Atubiga, have all expressed their intentions in leading the NDC in the 2020 elections.

The new entrant to have joined the race is a former Deputy Finance Minister, and NDC Member of Parliament for Cape Coast South, Kwaku Rickets-Hagan, who said the decision was not “taken lightly.”

“It’s not a decision that I took yesterday or last week,” he said in a Citi News interview.

The former Central Regional Minister added that, despite the fact that a number of persons have already announced their intention to contest for the position, he had taken a number of things into consideration before making a decision.

However, despite the number of NDC members wanting to lead the party, former President John Mahama appears unperturbed about the opposition he is likely to face in the party’s presidential primaries if he decides to contest.

He said he has no problem with the candidates who have so far declared their intentions of leading the party in the next presidential election.

“I have no problem with any of my colleagues who have expressed interest in leading this great party. Let us not attack anyone because whoever is elected to lead us to victory 2020, will need the support of each and everyone,” he added.


By Musah Abelyire/ghanaguardian.com