Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party, Nana Akomea has accused the National Executive Committee (NEC) of the ruling NDC of disrespecting the memory of the late President John Evans Atta Mills by nominating a flagbearer to replace him within the first week of mourning him. “Why can’t you [NDC NEC] wait for the first week to pass and allow the flags to be flying at full mast before you nominate a flagbearer and set a date for congress – you have disrespected the memory of the president,” he said on Metro TV Good Morning Ghana Show on Friday. The NEC of the NDC met on Thursday and nominated President John Dramani Mahama as its flagbearer for the December elections, following the demise of its flagbearer, President Mills on Tuesday July 24, 2012, just two days earlier. The meeting was covered live by some electronic media, and Nana Akomea said that was unfortunate, because it opens up the NDC for political debate at a time when everyone is mourning the late president. Nana Akomea said it would have been understandable if the NEC meeting had focused on who is to visit the wife and family of the late president and how to proceed with his funeral, “but you have not done that – the family says you have not sent anybody to them and you are already deciding who succeeds him.” He said even they [NPP], the opponents of the NDC, have suspended all their press conferences scheduled for this week, in honour of the memory of the late president so they were taken aback by what the NDC NEC did on Thursday. The NPP Communication Director argued that it was because of what the NEC did that foot soldiers of the NDC have started lobbying in earnest for who should be the running mate of the President John Mahama, which the NDC executive themselves have criticized. But in a quick rebuttal, Deputy Minister of Information, Samuel Okudjeto-Ablakwa insisted that the NEC meeting was quiet and solemn, devoid of any political undertones, adding that it was necessary to prevent any lobbying for the flagbearership the way people are lobbying for the running mate position. He insisted that in the same way the country could not wait for the late President to be mourned sufficiently before swearing in his vice as president, it was also necessary for the NDC to quickly refocus the party in one direction before people start confusing the rank and file with their lobbying. Samuel Okudjeto Ablakwa said the party executive is very much unhappy about the lobbying going on right now for the position Vice President and running mate, adding that it is embarrassing to find foot soldiers lobbying for people who may not even be privy to those lobbies. “The NEC is going to step in and stop all these foot soldier activity because the Constitution is very clear on whose duty it is to select a Vice President and a running mate, and none of those lobbying are included in that category of persons,” he said.