NDC flagbearership race: Atubiga is my favourite – Mahama

Former President John Dramani Mahama has welcomed members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), who have expressed interest in the flagbearership position of the party ahead of the 2020 polls.

In a recent comment, the former President, who appears to be interested in the race but has failed to be emphatic about it, said he’s not bothered about others seeking to vie for the slot, saying his favourite candidate is Stephen Atubiga, one of the party’s communicators.

“Atubiga is even my favourite Presidential candidate,” Mahama said when he addressed teaming supporters of the party at a Unity Walk at Cape Coast in the Central Region on Sunday.

Atubiga in 2015 contested in the NDC’s parliamentary primaries in Binduri constituency in the Upper East Region, but was unsuccessful.

Apart from Atubiga, several members of the NDC including, Nadowli-Kaleo MP, Alban Bagbin, Dr. Spio-Garbrah, former NHIA boss, Sylvester Mensah, Joshua Alabi, former MP for La-Dadekotopon, Nii Amasah Namoale among others, have given indications they may contest the flagbearership position.

Speaking at the event, John Mahama, under whose leadership the party woefully lost power to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), at the event, hinted at his interest in leading the NDC again.

The former President said he bears no grudges against persons who have shown interest in the party’s flagbearership position.

“I have no problem with any of my colleagues who has expressed interest in leading this great party. Let us not attack anyone because whoever is elected to lead us to victory 2020, will need the support of each and everyone.”

He said: “Spio was my boss and later became my minister; Joshua was my colleague in Parliament and later became the Vice Chancellor of UPSA, Sylvester was the NHIS Boss and later a Presidential Staffer… It’s not now that they want to contest that I will have a problem with them….Let us all work in unity for victory 2020.”

The NDC is expected to elect its flagbearer before the end of December 2018.

Atubiga jailed for 3-days in 2013

Stephen Atubiga became known for the wrong reasons during the election petition after the 2012 elections.

This was after he made comments the Supreme Court considered contemptuous, and jailed him for three days in 2013, alongside NPP’s Ken Kuranchie, then editor of the Daily Searchlight Newspaper, who was also jailed 10-days for a similar offence.

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