“The NPP has a lot of corruption accusations that they intend to use against Mahama if he runs. They commissioned a South African consultancy last year to research on what the chances of the NPP would be in 2020, and they were told that President Akufo-Addo’s public ratings will still be good enough to overshadow Mahama in 2020.”

At a news conference in Zeenu on Monday, Mr. Daniel Adokpa, Executive Member of Laizo NDC branch, said ex- President Mahama’s hint at running for the flagbearership of the party again was a marked departure from his earlier decision not to run and it was so because Mr. Mahama had fallen for a bait that the NPP deliberately dangled before him.

 “Because of that they deliberately embarked on a campaign to tease Mr Mahama into running again, so that if he is elected flagbearer, President Akufo-Addo can easily beat him in 2020,” Mr. Adokpa said.

He however added that, “but that plan will fail, as Alban Kingsford Sumana Bagbin, the man whose reputation as an incorruptible man is a source of nightmare for the NPP will win to become Flagbearer and beat Nana Addo in the 2020 Presidential polls.”

The Laizo NDC executive member’s take comes in the wake of former President Mahama, whose family had announced in 2016 that he would not run for President again; giving indication in a Facebook post that he may run again to lead the NDC into 2020.

In the build-up to President Mahama’s u-turn, the ex-President had deliberately been targeted with campaigns by the NPP that urged him not to run for President again because if he did, he would lose in worst fashion than he did in 2016.

“That campaign strategy is one of the pieces of advice that the consultants who worked for the NPP told them to employ – so that the ex-President would be given the impression that the NPP was afraid of him coming back,” Mr. Adokpa revealed.

According to Mr. Daniel Adokpa, who was flanked by other Executives at the well-attended function, it was the same consultants who drove the NPP into pursuing allegations that Mr Bagbin received double salary as Minister and MP under John Mahama.

“The consultants pointed out Bagbin’s reputation as an incorruptible man as a trait that is likely to get him elected as Flagbearer of the NDC in 2020, and that if he gets elected as such, the NPP will find it difficult to paint him bad in the eyes of Ghanaians. The solution to the problem therefore, was to come up with something to tarnish the image of Bagbin. This is why they started the double salary witch-hunt. It was because of Mr Bagbin that they started it, those others cited are just victims of circumstance”, Mr. Adokpa said.

He added that, “but I want to tell President Akufo-Addo and the NPP that their plan will not work. Mr Bagbin’s integrity is still intact in the estimation of Ghanaians and he will win the NDC flagbearership race and remove the NPP government out of office,”.

Mr Samuel Gidisu, a branch Communication Officer who was also full of praise for the Second Deputy Speaker urged NDC delegates across the country not to vote for Mr Mr Mahama, the choice of the New Patriotic Party as flagbearer in order to put ruling party to shame.