Presidential aspirant of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Alban Bagbin says, some MPs are supporting former president Mahama’s bid for a return “out of gratitude.”

The Second Deputy Speaker argued that contrary to perceptions that Mr Mahama is highly-tipped to win the party’s bid to lead it again, the seeming support appears to come from appointments he offered these supporters during his days as President.

Speaking on The Pulse programme on MultiTV on Monday, he said threats and intimidation are being used by persons aligned to the former president against those who dissent from his second coming bid. 

But he said he is unfazed by all that is happening since the verdict on former President Mahama’s popularity and competence has longed been passed in 2016 when he led the party to what many have described as an embarrassing defeat. 

It would be recalled that the NDC has come up for intense public scrutiny and criticism following events at its recent Congress and astronomical filing fees it imposed on its presidential hopefuls. 

The use of campaign songs of the former President and allowing him to address the opening and closing sessions of the Congress have all been cited as acts aimed at favouring him ahead of his colleague aspirants during the Congress.

However asserting his own popularity, the NDC presidential hopeful, who is also the Third Deputy Speaker of Ghana’s Parliament, believes that he is more popular.

Unfortunately, this is not public information because his supporters render their support to him secretly for fear of being victimized.