A deputy General Secretary of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) says President Mills erred when he publicly declared interest to rerun for president in Election 2012 on the ticket of the party. President Mills has told the BBC he would seek a second term. Kofi Adams, an aide to ex-President Rawlings, said President Mills’ open declaration to contest in 2012 has the potential to discourage other members of the party who would have loved to contest for the position. “When in less than two years we begin to get pronouncements such as this [from President Mills], it sort of disengages others who may also have interest in the position,” Kofi Adams said on News File, a news analysis programme on Joy FM. Mr Adams’ comment comes amid media reports that former First Lady and wife of ex-President Rawlings, Konadu Agyemang Rawlings, could also be nursing plans to run for president in 2012 on the ticket of the NDC. Although Mrs Rawlings has not publicly responded to the speculations, the debate torched off following the reports has almost peaked with revelation that some top guns, including Mr Rawlings, had been hatching plans to get Prof Mills to step down as presidential candidate in the lead-up to Election 2008. The alleged plot was predicated on the president’s then ill health which generated enormous headlines and provided copious fodder for his critics and members of the opposition. Mr Adams, who was sworn into office with Mrs Rawlings, NDC Vice Chairman, on the same day, has in recent interviews in sections of the media given positive reviews of Mrs Rawlings’ political credentials. The NDC general secretary said even more worrying is the failure of “advisers’ to the president to call to order persons who are vowing to “crash” anyone who decides to compete with President Mills in the primaries to select a candidate for the 2012 elections. The ruling party must front a candidate who can retain it in power for a second term and the leadership of the party is said to be strongly in support of the sitting president. While Mr Rawlings has openly criticized President Mills as being too slow at delivering on the campaign promises of the party, the ex-president’s latest criticism is perhaps stoking the perception that he could be urging on his wife to contest for president. Mr Rawlings, described President Mills, the man he campaigned strongly for during the last elections, as Konongo kaya meaning a person who does not do something but would not allow others to do it. But as the discussion rages on, an author, Dr Martinson Bukhari, says the trouble that has rocked the ruling party is only a “misunderstanding between two political giants who have the same optimism,” but have different outlooks on politics and management. Play attached audio for excerpts of Mr Adam's comments Story by Fiifi Koomson/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana