Former President Jerry John Rawlings will not attend the rally of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) taking place at Mantse Agbonaa in Accra today, Mr Kofi Adams, a spokesperson of the Rawlingses has announced. There were speculations Friday that Mr Rawlings will not be present at the rally. Communications Director of the Convention Peoples Party (CPP), Nii Armah Akomfra said on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme Friday that the NDC founder’s snub of the party’s Greater Accra Regional branch rally on Saturday was a ticking time bomb. He further stated that Mr Rawlings’ absence at the rally could affect the ruling party’s ambition to retain power in the upcoming general elections. Speaking during a discussion on Joy FM’s news analysis programme Newsfile and also aired on the Joy News channel of Multi TV Saturday, Kofi Adams revealed Rawlings was offended by the manner in which organizers of the rally had handled matters relating to his attendance of the rally. They did not invite the ex-president but moved from one radio station to the other advertising the event with his name, Kofi Adams explained. When Mr Rawlings reacted by asking them not to use his name for such purposes, he said, the same people publicly denied any wrong doing and said the ex-president did not need to be invited to attend a rally organized by his own party. He said the NDC founder found the attitude of the regional party executives very disrespectful. The Deputy General Secretary of the party further stated that ex-president Rawlings had many problems with the party which must be addressed. He therefore urged party leaders to desist from ‘scratching’ the issues and tackle them for peace to prevail within the NDC. “So if at any time these people [Rawlings and wife] feel that they have been treated in a way that they are not happy about, you don’t expect them to continue to endorse your programmes,” he noted. He reminded the leadership that many people support and vote for the NDC because of Rawlings, hence they should not delude themselves into thinking they could succeed without him. Mr Adams would not say if the ex-president will join the NDC campaign for the upcoming elections in December, even when pressed by sit-in host Samson Lardy Ayenini, but he insisted: “He [Rawlings] has issues and those issues must be addressed. You don’t think that you can just go and pick him and he will jump on and go on a campaign…” Meanwhile scores of NDC supporters have started gathering at the Mantse Agbonaa for the rally but were disappointed to learn the founder was not attending. Parliamentary candidates for the party are expected to be outdoored at the rally. Joy FM’s Anny Osabutey who was at the venue said the atmosphere was that of a “partying one.”