A leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Major Kojo Boakye Djan, has cautioned that the NDC will suffer another heavy defeat in the 2020 general election if the party fails to endorse former President John Dramani Mahama as its flag bearer.

He explained that former President Mahama was popular within the party and had also achieved so much for the country during his tenure as a president, saying “the path he has cut would be difficult to be replicated by another candidate.”

 Major Boakye Djan stated that any member or group of persons within the party who did not see the advantage of endorsing former President Mahama as the flag bearer of the NDC for Election 2020 was “an enemy alien within the party”.

He told the Daily Graphic that he was the first person to publicly announce that Mr Mahama was the best bet for the party to win the 2020 general election.

Electoral history

Major Boakye Djan, who was the Head of Government of the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), recalled that President Akufo-Addo lost the 2008 and 2012 before winning in 2016 election, while the late President Professor John Evans Atta Mills also struggled in 2000 and 2004 before winning in 2008, having defeated the then ruling party candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo.

According to him, Mr Mahama won in his first bid and lost when he sought for the renewal of his mandate. “So in a horse racing term, Mahama is a champion jockey that every wise person will be interested to invest in”, he stated, and cautioned members of the party against endorsing a different candidate rather than Mr Mahama.

Not surprising

Major Boakye Djan said it was not new and surprising that a group of people within the party had come up to endorse Mr Mahama and believed the party needed the former President in 2020 to bring it back to power.

He said he could still visualise posters of Mr Mahama all over the country, saying “Mahama’s face has been registered in the minds of voters and we do not need to present a new face to represent the party in the upcoming general elections.”

Major Boakye Djan appealed to members of the party not to sit back but take note and correct their previous mistakes committed during the 2016 general election, adding that he foresaw NDC winning the 2020 general election.  

Peace and unity

Major Boakye Djan called on sympathisers of the party to put the 2016 election defeat behind them and come together as one family to fight for one common goal.