[dropcap]M[/dropcap]embers of a pro-National Democratic Congress (NDC) group, Action Movement, are livid over a supposed unity walk being organized by former President John Mahama.
John Mahama is kick starting his regional unity walk in Tamale in the Northern Region on Saturday.
“I’ll be participating in a unity walk in my home region tomorrow [Saturday]. Tamale alone can draw out millions of people to fill the streets of the whole city…we have enough people to ensure that we have a successful walk. My understanding is that the walk will be repeated in other regions,” Mahama hinted while speaking at a lecture to open the NDC’s National Institute of Social Democracy on Friday.
But the group argued that the exercise is an indirect way of activating Mahama’s bid to lead the NDC in the 2020 election, after he suffered a humiliating defeat in the 2016 election.
Action movement in a statement said “Mr. Mahama and his supporters must be told that at this juncture [that], what the NDC needs is not a unity walk. We need serious introspection and a new way of doing things.”
The NDC group insists that Mahama has no right to organize a unity walk because the party’s Election Review Committee recommended a healing process for their members to be led by the NDC’s Council of Elders and not John Mahama.
“The Kwesi Botwey fact finding committee report actually recommended a healing tour under the auspices of the council of elders. And as much as we are concerned, the council of elders has initiated the process. Mahama is a member of the council of elders and we expect him to know better,” the group added in the statement signed by its convener, Kodzo Hamenya Keglo.
Below is the full statement from the Action Movement:
Mahama’s Tamale ‘Unity Walk’ cause for concern – Action Movement
“The action movement of the NDC has become aware of a purported poster in circulation, urging party faithfuls to walk with ex-president Mahama in the northern regional capital-Tamale on Saturday 9th September 2017. Much as we cannot fault Mr. Mahama for kick starting his campaign for 2020 flagbearership elections though leaving the numerous corruption allegations unanswered, we would like to put on record that this so-called Unity walk is all an attempt by Mahama to test his popularity ahead of the forthcoming flagbearership contest.
Mahama as the former leader of the party has no mandate to organize a Unity walk. The Kwesi Botwey fact finding committee report actually recommended a healing tour under the auspices of the council of elders. And as much as we are concerned, the council of elders has initiated the process. Mahama is a member of the council of elders and we expect him to know better.
In any case, who are those Mahama want to unite with in this walk? Prior to the 2016 elections we were made to believe that the party was so united. Mahama and his cohorts even made it thematic subject of their campaign, saying Nana Akufo-Addo is a divisive leader and intolerant leader, and that the NDC was united before the elections. So what is Mahama uniting? Mahama and his hangers-on should understand that he lost and lost convincingly. He did all he could but still lost in a humiliating fashion. His loss had nothing to do with unity, but everything to do with the corruption and abuse of office.
If Mahama has any genuine plan for unity, he should assembly the old guards and the all disaffected party activists for a true party reorganization. We are not falling for this cosmetic approach meant to throw dust into the eyes of the unsuspecting public. We are calling on all NDC members to boycott Mahama and his so-called unity walk. It is the same shameful approach and walks that brought us here in the first place. Maham must be humble enough to follow the plans of the council of elders (The Healing tour)
Mr Mahama and his supporters must be told that at this juncture, what the NDC needs is not a unity walk. We need serious introspection and a new way of doing things.
We can organize thousand UNITY WALKS but we will remain divided if we don’t change our mindset. We need a mental and psychological unity walks devoid of Mahama’s pretence and hypocrisy. Only then will real UNITY can genuinely manifest through the blood vessels of our great party.
As a former leader, he needs to respect the structures of the party and act within the confines of the structures. There are other potential leaders interested in running for office but they are patiently waiting for the party leadership to set the ball rolling before they get down to work.
If the party leadership had any backbone, Mr. Mahama should have been sanctioned by now. This is how democracy dies. No individual is bigger than the party. Every party person who believes in our constitution needs to stand up to Mahama.
This must not be allowed to continue.
Long Live Founder
Long Live the NDC
SIGNED
Kodzo Hamenya Keglo
