Rawlings Bombshell: NDC Leaders Are Wicked!

Former President Jerry John Rawlings says the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) cannot win the 2020 elections.

According to him, the party he founded can only target 2024.

He said the party members although doing their best to win next year’s election know within themselves that the party can only win in election 2024.

Mr. Rawlings who was addressing the National Conference of Cadres of the party in Kumasi under the theme: “Effective Mobilization and Organization for Victory 2020: The Role Of Cadres” said “there are some among us in the leadership who initially didn’t think after four years you can wrestle power from these people and yet if I may speak frankly, they have gone ahead and almost purchased the power of this party into the pockets and claiming to be aiming towards 2020.”

2020 Target

He adds: “When I know, when some on you should know, that their aim is not really towards 2020 you secured 2020 out of the way for yourself so nobody will…knowing down well that you just give it fan full what you call it to pass through when you know 2024 is your target.”

He said “Some of these leaders are wicked, I tell you.

The former president also called on leaders of the party to embrace the politics of conscience, truth and the power of conviction retain power.

He said the party must undo the mistakes that lwd to the 2016 defeat.

This is not the first time the former president has questioned the readiness of the NDC to win the 2020 elections.

Speaking on TV3, early this month, on the same matter Mr. Rawlings said he would wish that the NDC, indicating that “Let me simply say, that I will very much want to see the NPP beaten but do we have what it takes? Do we have the capacity to be able to wrestle power from them?,” he questioned.

The former president was widely reported to have said the NPP would win the 2020 elections if it is able to sustain its performance within the next four years. He was reported to have said: “If they [the NPP] do well in enough… And so far it doesn’t look too bad,” they would win the 2010 elections.

Clarifying his position on the matter on TV3, the former president explained that for the NDC to regain power there are a lot of issues it must address, indicating that the party as it stands, has lost the moral high ground.

“The most important factor I believe has to do with the issue of the cleanup that needs to be done; the restoration of our integrity.

We don’t like to hear it but I keep repeating it. We have to go back, seek a moral high ground,” he advised. He added: “The manner in which the electoral process has been happening since Sunyani has not been encouraging. It’s unfortunate, most unfortunate how come we lost the moral high grounds. I think they know what needs to be done.”

Mr Rawlings said the NDC ought to do self-clean-up but noted he does not see the party’s readiness to at least confront the issues, saying “I don’t think we are prepared to confront it or that’s what I’ve noticed about some of our people”.

Grassroots

Underscoring the importance of the grassroots of the party in winning the 2020 elections, Mr Rawlings said it was important that they are involved in the clean-up exercise, and advised that they are empowered.

“…Let’s give the party back to them [grassroot], they are the ones who actually make it possible to win or lose elections, let’s respect their views,” he indicated.

That is the issue we should be addressing, we should be looking at these questions a lot more seriously than we have done so far.

That’s it! The former president also said it was critical for the top hierarchy of the party to come together to help restore respect the values of the NDC, noting that “You can’t use money to buy anything and everything”.