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NDC’s 'civil war' exposes battle for party's soul

Following the party’s historic defeat at the polls last year, members of the NDC, fuming with rage, have rushed to the media to accuse one another of incompetence, underhand dealings, embezzlement of funds and corruption.

For instance, an NDC MP Mr Joseph Naabu said former president John Mahama lacked competence when he was president of Ghana, which contributed to the defeat of the NDC in last year’s elections.

Then Kofi Adams, Mr Mahama's campaign coordinator, was accused of embezzling campaign funds.

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Anyone with deep knowledge about the NDC knows that since 2000 when former president Jerry John Rawlings left the scene, any leadership battle has been three camps: One led Mr Rawlings, another by supposed NKrumahists and another by the Northern Caucus.

To quote the renowned novelists, Chinua Achebe, it appears "the falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart, the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world."

The average Ghanaian is taken aback at the recent development in the NDC. Only four months ago the then NDC flagbearer and President, Mr Mahama, said the NDC was the most united party on the surface of this earth. And that the opposing party, the New Patriotic Party, was so disunited and not fit to govern.

“Today, the party that is ready to govern this country is the NDC. Why am I saying so? Today, the NDC is the most united and well-organised party than any other party in Ghana. Look at what’s going on in the NPP. The NPP is divided into two factions. If that party is rife with these divisions even in opposition, what will happen if we give them power?” Mr Mahama jabbed.

In a recent media interview, we are told by a top NDC member, Yaw Boateng Gyan, that the cracks in the NDC are wider than what the public perceives. According to him, anyone who dared speak publicly was vilified.

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“The NDC was much more divided than the NPP but we pretended as if all was well and decided to talk about the NPP’s troubles. “People who dared to talk publicly about the party’s challenges were vilified and sidelined, how were we going to hear diverging opinions internally?,” Mr Gyan said on Kumasi-based Abusua FM.

Now the party is out of government, there is no bait to trap party members into silence, they are having a go at each other.

To the unsuspecting Ghanaian, it is just some adults being loud mouth behind a microphone. But it is more than that. It is for the soul of the party.

The civil war is about who will become the next branch chairman, Constituency official, Regional executive and National Executive member.

So far, we are told about 15 people are interested in the flagbearership race of the party. Whoever is able to get his supporters to take up the various positions right from the branch level to the National Executive level will become the flagbearer.

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Therefore, the strategy for some is to muddy the waters, ensure that the former president does not make a comeback because he is the obvious choice for the party, so they can emerge victorious.

The race to the party’s congress will be a sight to behold. They will fight, cast aspersions, through jabs, come out bruised-- as one of the three camps prepare to take over the party.

Will it be the Rawlingsist? The supposed Nkrumahists? Or the Northern Caucus? The days ahead will be really interesting. Until then, let’s listen to their tantrums.

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