NDC should rather be focusing on reorganisation – Dr Benjamin Kunbuor

NDC should rather be focusing on reorganisation

A leading member of the National Democratic Congress (NDC),

Dr Benjamin Kunbuor has cautioned the party against holding

conversations around the selection of a flagbearer for Election 2024.

The former Interior Minister said the opposition party should

rather be focusing on reorganisation.

According to him, it will be a serious political blunder for the NDC

to narrow its problems to getting a flagbearer to lead the party

into the next elections. Speaking at the ‘Securing NDC’s Future’

forum organised by some leading members of the party in Tema

on Sunday, Dr Kunbuor said the party’s challenges goes beyond

succession to internal wrangling and weak cohesion.

READ ALSO: 

• Dan Abodakpi explains why NDC got defeated – 2020 election
• Assemblies of God pastor found dead on Atwea Mountains

“Look for a succession machinery and institution. One that will

endure and be sustainable over the times. As comrade Dan Abodakpi has said,

you can put any rider on that horse and the horse will win. When you

start by closing any forms conversation and let it look like the real

problem for NDC today is a conversation about succession and flagbearership,

you are committing a serious political blunder because by the time

you get that successor or that individual in place; he is going to be

riding a weak and tired and sick horse” Dr Kumbour intimated.

The former Defense Minister’s comments come at a time when

the leadership of the party also held a three-day retreat in Ho,

attended by its 2020 flagbearer, John Mahama and running mate,

Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman.

The programme among other things was to assess the party’s

performance in the 2020 general elections, strengthen its structures

and strategize on the reorganisation for victory in the next

presidential and parliamentary polls.

Dr Benjamin Kumbour further indicated that some elements within

the party who are to answer hard frontal questions on accountability

are the individuals in a hurry to introduce the idea of succession.

The former Nandom MP believes that the party mechanism in selecting

a flagbearer is bedevilled with challenges and called for the rough

edges to be straightened.

He also bemoaned the absence of systems and structures to deal with

internal politics which is an affront to party cohesion and unity.

“Who says succession in NDC is a political problem? It is not because,

we have a number of mechanism for electing our leaders. Yes, it

might have its own weaknesses but that system exists. It only needs

to be improved. So why is that a problem?”

• NDC MP’s son falls victim in KNUST accident
• Nasa successfully flies small helicopter on Mars for the time

 

“But we do not have structures and systems for dealing with internal

party democracy, dealing with party cohesion and dealing with keeping

to its committed values. That is where we have the challenge and

those are the issues around which any conversation should take place,” he said.

There appears to be some division in the NDC leadership in parliament.

Although the next elections is three years away, conversations about

who becomes the party’s flagbearer is already on the front burner with

accusations of some individuals scheming against the 2016 and

2020 Presidential Candidate, John Mahama.