Newly-elected flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress John Dramani Mahama has rallied his party to prepare to battle it out for power in the 2020 general elections.

With party bigwigs seated behind him and a sample of the grass root before him, the former President said his victory is a “call to duty, a call to action and a call to battle.”

And ended his speech with a charging cry that “nothing, absolutely nothing will stop our march to the Flagstaff House [renamed Jubilee House].”

Moving away from branding the party as a lame horse following his defeat in the 2016 elections, John Mahama praised the political mood in the party and noted a “new fire” in all the national executives.

“I wish that this fire will keep on burning,” he relished and advised the party supporters not to fall for divisive schemes of their political rivals.

“Eschew all attempts to divide us. Let us not believe the kinds of stories that will be circulated,” he said.

John Mahama dedicated his “overwhelming endorsement” to the party and its grassroots and in a passionate tone, pledged to “work closely with you and tirelessly.”

That comment follows revelations, the sidelining of the party structure was a factor in the 2016 loss.

He called his six other challengers sharing a measly less than 5%, “a good fight”.

Excited gathering

NDC supporters at the national headquarters in Accra were eager to clap for any name or person introduced to them during the ceremony to announce a new flagbearer.

They clapped wildly for little known Nurudeen and were in ecstatic cooperation with the program’s conductor, Peter Otokunor, in responding to all his shouts ‘Kukruduu’, ‘Ey3 zu, Ey3 za’.

This had been clearly a good night, a unifying night in a contest that ended up as another predictable popular acclamation of John Mahama with 95.23% of the votes.

They looked visibly fired up for the work ahead of the 2020 elections for they have found in the person of John Mahama, a spearhead.

Mahama was presented to the party on Sunday dawn, his new dawn. He had jotted some notes, ready for his most confident speech since his 2016 drubbing at the polls.

A gospel song was played in the background as Mahama stood before his party. The lyrics of the Twi song, a desperate begging of God by a hapless servant whose hope for strength is God.

Among the many names were his campaign manager, Ambassador Ohene Agyekum, speech-writer Prof. Kwamena Ahwoi and working-behind-the-scenes Valerie Sawyer.