NDC Shuns JJ, Wife? As Party Starts 2012 Campaign On Sat.

As the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) swings into full gear this Saturday with an envisaged mammoth rally to start their campaign towards securing a second term for Professor Evans Atta Mills this Saturday, the finder can confirm that the founder of the party, Flt Lt. Jerry Rawlings, and his wife, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings, will not be present at the event. In an interview with The Finder, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings uttered with utmost shock that she was hearing of the rally for the first time from this reporter. �What launch? I am not aware of anything of the sort,� she said. When this reporter pushed further to find out whether she still would attend the rally, the former first lady said, �My brother, how can I go to a programme that I do not know about? You are telling me for the first time so it is obvious I do not know where or what time it would be held.� With three days to the event touted to equal the mammoth rally held at the same venue a couple of weeks ago by the opposition New Patriotic Party, Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings said she could not tell if her husband, former President Jerry John Rawlings, had been invited or not. �You asked me if I had been invited and I cannot speak for him on this issue. But if he had been invited he would have told me or I would have known about it,� she said. In a separate interview with Emmanuel Saint Osei, coordinator of affairs of the former first family, to ascertain whether his office had received an invitation letter on behalf of the Rawlingses, the coordinator said although he had heard of the rally, his office was yet to receive any formal invitation. Meanwhile, party supports this reporter encountered at the forecourt of the national headquarters of the NDC said they looked forward to the event to portray how united the NDC was on Saturday to prove as false all talks of divisiveness within the rank and file of the party. They said they wanted former President Jerry Rawlings and his wife, together with all those who had returned to the party, to be invited to the rally on Saturday. �How can we do this big show without Papa JJ himself? I think he and his wife should be given respect. They founded the party and anytime there�s any porgramme they should be invited first,� Mustapha, a party supporter, said. Another party supporter said, �Me I believe they will come. We need former President Rawlings to help us win again.� A middle-aged woman who gave her name as Fauzia said, �JJ will come. He is an action man so whether he is invited or not, JJ will come.� Already banners have been mounted in some strategic areas in town with commercials playing on the electronic media heralding the event to be held at Mantse Agbonaa this Saturday.