The founder of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Jerry John Rawlings has failed to endorse the candidature of President John Mahama who is seeking a second term of office.

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He also cautioned the party against ‘mimicking’ the opposition New Patriotic Party and said he was going to reserve the rest of his thoughts for after the December polls.

“I want to urge you to recognize that what is ahead of you won’t be an easy task, it’s going to be challenging so don’t allow unnecessary provocation to create unnecessary tension.”

“I will reserve what I will have to say after the elections to share with you how I think we can restore the kind of strength that will take us into the future," he said.

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The former president also shied away from speaking in the first person and limited his use of ‘we’ in preference of ‘you’; signalling a somewhat distance between himself and the party.

The rift between Rawlings and his party began shortly after John Evans Atta-Mills became president in 2009 with him publicly criticising the president and his ministers. His wife led an unsuccessful bid to assume leadership of the party and has now established her own party; the National Democratic Party.

This is similar to what some senior Republican Party figures in the United States have done, failing to endorse Donald Trump and also not condemning his faux pas.