Impeccable information from the corridors of former President Jerry John Rawlings is indicative of the fact that former Finance Minister under his regime Professor Kwesi Botchwey is lacing his boots to enter into the flagbearership race of the National Democratic Congress when nominations are finally opened.
An aide to the former President who wants to remain anonymous for some reasons has confirmed this rumour to be highly authentic. “It is true that Professor Botchwey is contesting as flagbearer when the party opens nominations. I must also add that the good professor has the blessings of the former president” the aide said.
Another credible information from the same source points to the fact that the Minority Leader of Parliament, Haruna Iddrisu is tipped to partner Professor Kwesi Botchwey as a vice presidential candidate. It is believed that Haruna Iddrisu was part of the people who met with the former president and his team, including Professor Botwey where this decision was affirmed.
Asked how this agenda could be prosecuted successfully looking at the fact that former President John Mahama is well oiled financially and with most of the current national executives supporting his bid, the source said that funds to ensure Professor Botchwey sails through without any major hitch are available since powerful people in and outside the country have thrown their weights behind this agenda.
The NDC went into the 2016 general elections with higher expectations of winning without blemishes. They received the shock of their lives as Ghanaians relegated them to the sidelines with a vote margin yet to be bested in our electoral history.
This humiliating defeat would inform the party to set up the Professor Kwesi Botchwey Committee and charged it to collate views and facts about why the party lost to the Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party in such a fashion. A number of recommendations were outlined in the final report with the need to unify the fractured fronts of the party being very key.
Believing that holding regional health walks would do the trick, the Mahama skewed unity walks/health walks have been organized in about eight regions. What appears to be obvious is that the much sought after unity seems to be a long way away despite these walks. A gulley instead of unity has been the outcome of the walks. This is one of the reasons behind the decision of Professor Kwesi Botchwey to contest.
Professor Botchwey joins other heavyweights of the National Democratic Congress who have declared their intentions to lead the NDC into the next elections. Until the decision of Kwesi Botchwey to join in this race, many had tipped Mahama to run over the others.
