Ex-president John Rawlings will resist any attempt by party officials to gag him during the National Democratic Congress’ Delegates Congress in Sunyani next month. This is according to the aide and spokesperson to the Rawlingses, Kofi Adams. His warning comes days after the deputy Minister of Environment Science and Technology Dr. Omane Boamah had hinted during a TV newspaper review programme that the former president must not be allowed to address delegates during the July Congress. The deputy Minister later told Joy News his comment was just a suggestion and not a final decision taken by the party. According to him, both the ex-president and the vice–president have taken sides in the impending primary for which reason both of them, he believes, should not be allowed to address the delegates. The congress which is to elect a new party leader ahead of the 2012 general elections has sitting president John Atta Mills and ex-first lady Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings as candidates. But the comments of the deputy minister have not been taken lightly by the office of the ex-president. Kofi Adams said preventing Mr Rawlings from speaking will be tantamount to preventing the truth from being heard and that has no place within the NDC. He said such a suggestion can only come from a person who just arrived in the NDC from the NPP. “How can a party have a founder and will not be allowed to speak during congress?” Adams said rather sarcastically. He said Mr. Rawlings will not accept any attempt to take away his right to address the delegates.