The NDC Congress in Retrospect

A distinctive characteristic of every political party is the fact that there exists, to some extent, some internal party problems. It is undisputed and evident that these internal party problems have not eluded the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the past few years, especially in the build up to the just ended National Congress to elect its flagbearer in Sunyani. His Excellency Professor John Evans Atta Mills led the NDC to recapture power from the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after eight years in opposition. About two and half years on, the answer to the question as to whether the Mills-led administration has performed well or poor lies in the tongue of the individual. Sitting in the castle with the tasked bestowed on him to better the lot of Ghanaians, the president believed in the work he was doing hence the hope that Ghanaians will give him another four years to fully complete his eight-year term in office and with the assurance and hope that his party will endorse him for another four years. Interestingly, little did the president know that he will be contested by members of his own party. Rumours became rife that the former first lady, Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings was lacing his boots to contest him for the next four years. Those individuals, who were at the vanguard of Nana Konadu�s candidature, later combined forces to be known as Friends of Nana Konadu Agyemang Rawlings (FONKAR). When this group emerged, many political pundits and analysts downplayed the seriousness of the group, but the group maintained its stance. The emergence of another group, which rooted for the president, called itself GAME (Get Atta Mills Endorsed). There was tension between these two groups for weeks until the National Executive Committee of the party released the timetable for the election of flagbearer of the party which was pegged on Saturday July 9, 2011. Later, those two groups continued to engage each other in altercations, accusations and allegations of which some were negligible. The founder of the party and Chairman of the Council of Elder, Former President Jerry John Rawlings, who the party supporters believed will provide a level playing field for the contesting candidates threw his weight behind his �double sweet heart,� Nana Konadu. Earlier, the former president lashed out at President Mills� government for being slow at taking some crucial actions which will contribute to some measure to the party. Critical among them is the refusal of the Mill-led administration to prosecute and convict alleged former corrupt government officials in the erstwhile Kuffour administration. The passion and the emotion in the speeches in which he continued to give anytime he mounts the podium were tagged by the media as �boom� speeches. Anytime he speaks, he makes headlines in the media and even some commentators have even stated that the media makes fortunes from their trade anytime the former president speaks. These strictures laid on president Mills by former president Rawlings generated some factions and the two did not see eye to eye. On several platforms, President Mills had been trying to explain that �the wheels of justice grind slowly,� but the former president will not listen. Nomination and campaign for the flagbearership race was opened and as zealous as she was, Nana Konadu stormed the party offices to pick her nomination forms two days ahead of other prospective candidates. Some political pundits still maintained she is up to put fears in president Mills and that she will stand down. Nana Konadu�s campaign message was simple and that was to take the party (NDC) back to where it belonged and allow party foot soldiers, who were aggrieved and always up in arms for being marginalised, and promised them Heaven. It was believed president Mills has abandoned the party. President Mills continued to assure Ghanaians hence delegates to vote him to continue the Better Ghana Agenda he has started and asked them to refer to the economic indicators, which have improved tremendously and numerous developmental projects he has embarked on in the country. The allegation of vote buying and intimidation by FONKAR was widely reported and the difficulty in getting Nana Konadu�s nomination forms endorsed. Dr. Spio Garbrah, who later joined the race, has to take on early bow because of the same problem. In the build up to the Congress in Sunyani, the Brong Ahafo capital, tension was heightened. Though president Mills was sure of victory, some media houses projected Nana Konadu ahead of Mills in various polls conducted. If the so-called polls were anything to go by, then it meant president Mills was going to be the first president to serve for only one term (four years). What exacerbated the apprehension and was likely to seal the win was a pronouncement by a Sunyani based man of God, Prophet Segbene Xenodzi that God has revealed to him and assured him of Nana Konadu�s victory. Prophet Xenodzi offered his life in the event that Nana Konadu does not win. Indeed, he meant what he was saying which made him put his neck on the line. On the D-day Saturday July 9, 2011, as inquisitive as I am, I walked through Kejetia, a suburb of Kumasi to pick a vehicle to Akosombo (where I live), to have a feel of the atmosphere. In Kejetia, horns of Metro Mass Transit busses were hooting; jammed packed with NDC party supporters in their party T-shirts with a banner �NDC Congress, Sunyani� at the rear of the buses. I jostled my way out through a thick crowd to the Metro Mass terminal and finally got on. In the course of the journey, the bus was quiet. I broke the silence by asking the conductor to take us to the Congress ground at Sunyani. The driver became furious and asked me to get down because the bus was heading for Ho and not Sunyani. Some passengers joined him. Perhaps, he did not understand my request. We could go to Sunyani without necessarily negotiating a curve towards Sunyani. I was just praying him to tune the radio on the bus to a station which carried the Congress live from Sunyani. Immediately, the noise died down. I noticed for the first time that a passenger has taken us there; a portable radio in his hand and the commentary could be heard though not clear. The conductor later took us to the NDC Congress after initial refusal. Few passengers clung to the radio on their phones. For the first time, I could see some pictures from the Congress grounds and thanks to the �China phone� of a passenger who was sitting in front of me. This did not last for ten minutes because his battery could not support that. I later heard a cacophony of voices from the back seats. Some passengers were arguing among themselves. They were sharply divided between president Mills and Nana Konadu. Travelling through the town, normal activities were going on, brisk trade and lively activities. The Congress might not put food on their table. Speakers took turns to address the delegates. The bus was quiet again at this time listening to the speeches until Jerry John Rawlings was called to take the podium. �He is coming to boom again� one passenger just sitting behind me said. I smiled. Expectations were high this time. Rawlings had promised to drop the rest of the �boom� at the Congress during the 32nd anniversary celebration of the June 4 uprising in Kumasi. As a risible character, Rawlings started his speech with his usual anecdotes, but this time it did not attract the kind of laughter and applause he received in Kumasi during his speech at the anniversary about a carpenter and his landlord, Mr. Appiah popularly referred as �Kookolo deka medu� and the earlier one on �Atta mortuary man� which attracted a lot of public condemnation. Perhaps, this can be attributed to either the tension prior to the election or the crowd that was to respond was kept outside the venue or the story was simply not interesting. Former president Rawlings� speech was not different from his usual attack and calls on the Mills� government to prosecute and convict alleged former corrupt government officials and the judiciary being manned by the opposition. However, Rawlings made a profound statement; he called on the delegates to listen to him carefully as that might be his last speech. With this statement, it is a clear indication that there is danger looming in the NDC with a possible quit of the former president from the party. If the �inevitable� as stated in his speech at the 32 anniversary of June 4 should happen, what will be the fate and chances of the party in annexing the seat in 2012? This is a one million question not too many people can answer. Though it is true that president Mills has convincingly won by a wide margin to lead the NDC in 2012, his aspirations will be thwarted if he does not make giant strides aimed at reconciling the factions that emerged prior to the election. It is true that former president Rawlings raised President Mills� hand to affirm his victory after the Electoral Commissioner declared the results, he and his wife�s walk out from the Congress grounds reveals all is not well with them and their supporters. If for nothing at all, the national executives must be congratulated for holding a successful congress, notwithstanding the initial altercations and acrimonies which welcomed it. Indeed, the NDC has shamed its critics and those who wished that the Congress turned sour. As president Mills declared, the NDC has won and the victory is for the NDC. Now that the election is over whether Sons and Daughters of Atta Mills (SADAM), Get Agyeman Rawlings In (GARI), Friends of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (FONKAR), Organised Ladies of Nana Konadu Agyeman Rawlings (OLONKAR), Nana Konadu Network (NAKONET), Get Atta Mills Endorsed/Elected (GAME), Friends and Family of Atta Mills (FAFAM), Friends of Atta Mills (FOAM), Supporters of Egya Atta (SEA), Enemies of Massa Atta (ENEMA), Atta Mills Association of Slow Starters (AMASS) or Atta Mills Society of Sycophants and Cowards (AMSSAC) should come together towards fighting for a common course on how to win the 2012 election. In trying to mend the cracks, let us first have the entire nation at heart for without Ghana, no political party exists. The time to iron out the differences that emerged before, during and after the Congress is now and the parties involved should join forces aimed at capturing power in the 2012 election. This is crucial and should be the preoccupation of the national executives. But for Prophet Xenodzi, the least said about him the better. This is one of the few �men of God� who drag the image of Christendom for that matter God in the mud. With some of these prophets among us, we should be looking forward to the second coming of the Lord. Some of these men of God have dented their image and it behooves on us not to give attention to some of these prophesies. I call on other political parties to emulate the convivial atmosphere with which the NPP and the NDC have conducted their elections and follow suit. Long live Ghana and May the Almighty God be our helper.