Dr. Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, a vice chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) has categorically denied reports that he feels betrayed in his presidential ambition by former first lady, Nana Koandu Agyeman Rawlings. The claims of betrayal follow the emergence of groups canvassing the candidature of the former first lady. The Bilingual Free Press in its Tuesday 21st December edition reported that Dr. Spio-Garbrah believed the sudden interest of Mrs. Rawlings in the presidential slot of the NDC has broken an agreement between him and the former first family to support his bid. The paper further said "...the ex-CTO boss has expressed disappointment at the incorrigible posture of the former first lady, whom according to close associates was only to serve as a decoy in the strategy but now seems to be reneging on that and actively and seriously campaigning for herself." But in a swift rebuttal, Dr. Spio-Garbrah said he had not made any such comments to anybody as it is against what he believes in, stating “if people are there because they like Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, I am not sure why anyone has a problem with that.” Mr. Spio-Garbrah who was speaking to Citi FM Wednesday said “there is no such situation like that. I haven’t read the story but there is nothing about betrayal, nothing about fronting. Nothing about she doing something and I’m doing something. There is no such agreement, no such understanding.” He said when people choose to support specific people within a group, it is their right so to do. He said this will ensure that people express their views on issues without any intimidation from within the party, explaining that if party members do not encourage people who support specific personalities in the party to stay, they will end up going elsewhere. "In any political party just like a football team, [where] people support Chelsea or Manchester United, it is because of the specific players who are playing. It is not simply because of the captain or the coach. Every player has a few people who support them and that is why they come and watch these football matches. Politics is also the same,” he posited. He further explained that there is no reason why he should nurse such fears as the NDC party itself has not “declared a date for any such flagbearership contest. Nobody has been invited to present himself. I have made it clear, even though people don’t want to listen, that we have only one president. That president is Prof. John Atta Mills. All of us campaigned in 2008 for him to be elected.” Spio-Garbrah said criticisms should not be misconstrued to mean that people do not want the president to succeed or that the president’s regime is being undermined. “We all support him and want him to do a good job, but there are times certain things are not being done the way some of us think it should be done and I think we should also have the freedom and the democratic right to point out either privately if possible and in some cases some of the statements may come out publicly,” he added. Dr. Spio-Garbrah pointed out that Ghanaians and the media should eschew negative reportage and concentrate on issues that unite the people. “Let us say the best things about each other and the things that may divide us that may be very very few, let us limit them because there are many more things that unite us as Ghanaians than the things that divide us,” he sermonized. Story by Derick Romeo Adogla/Myjoyonline.com/Ghana