A group of former Metropolitan Municipal and District Chief Executives in the erstwhile John Mahama administration have backed the 2020 NDC flagbearer bid of the former President.

In a statement Monday, the former MMDCEs said it is their belief that Mr. Mahama will emerge as the flagbearer of the NDC for the 2020 Presidential elections.

They also thanked the ex-President for heeding their call to declare his intention to contest the primaries which has been scheduled for January 26, 2019.

“As a listening leader, His Excellency President John Dramani Mahama announced his intention to contest for the Presidential primaries shortly after we had prevailed on him,” they wrote.

“We trust he will lead the NDC to victory in 2020 in order to relieve the good people of Ghana from the immense pain and hardship…the country has been plunged into,” the statement added.

Some 12 other aspirants declared their intentions to contest the flagbearship although two of them have officially dropped out of the race following the monumental filing fees slapped on them by the party.

The GHS400,000 was subsequently revised to GHS300,000 after some disgruntled eight aspirants petitioned the Council of Elders.

John Mahama, former SSNIT board chair, Joshua Alabi, former NHIS boss, Sylvester Mensah, Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament, Alban Bagbin, former Trades Minister, Spio Garbrah who are front-runners have all picked up nomination forms.

Some analysts have, however, described the race as ‘cool chop’ for the former President, who lost to NPP candidate Nana Akufo-Addo by over an unprecedented million votes.

Some 94 out of 106 NDC legislators have also backed Mr. Mahama to lead the party in 2020.

Maverick General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia is also on record endorsing the ex-President for 2020, an action that has attracted calls for him to recuse himself from the primaries.

Watch video of Asiedu Nketia endorsing Mahama.