The veteran legislator, known for his principled stance and bluntness on matters of governance, has in the past three months campaigned to win the hearts and minds of party delegates, cadres, founding fathers and even traditional rulers across the country.

Sharing some observations with the Daily Graphic in a telephone interview on Sunday, Mr Bagbin said his message of grassroot empowerment had been well received.

He said it was his belief that a fresh wind of change was blowing through the NDC which would make party members at the grass roots feel part of the party.

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Welfare

He recently addressed delegates from eight constituencies in Takoradi in the Western Region and assured them that he was seeking the mandate to lead the great NDC party because he believed firmly in the power of change and good leadership.

He told the delegates that it was his determination to make the NDC attractive to the common man or woman on the street.

“I want leadership at all levels of the party to wield and to exercise the power to make decisions and contributions that will inure to the benefit of the party. I want to put the appropriate welfare structures in place that will ensure hardworking party members have the opportunity to prosper and to live decent lives. I want things to be done right in our party,” he stated.

He asked the delegates to join him to bring change to the NDC and win back power in 2020.

“If you believe in this path that I seek, from Volta to Western and to the Eastern regions, then I ask you to join my campaign to become the flag bearer of the NDC for the 2020 general election.” he employed the delegates.

Wind of change

He recalled that during the NDC constituency elections, a good many old executives were sent packing by the delegates because they superintended over the most humiliating defeat of the NDC in any national election since the party’s grand entry into Ghanaian mainstream politics in the early 90s.

He added that “this wind of change continued to gather momentum in September this year when the party’s regional executive elections were concluded. The old order was clearly giving way to the new. Like a cosmic slap in the face, the majority of former regional chairmen received their rudest collective awakening yet.  Out of the 10 regional chairmen who had pledged their undying support to former President John Mahama, only three were left standing tall.”

He further pointed out that on October 27, 2018 in the Central Region town of Gomoa Fetteh, the party's rank and file spoke again.

At its very successful National Women/Youth elections, one would have expected money and political gerrymandering to have held sway; but yet another unmissable and very telling smoke signal was triggered. As it wafted like incense across the country, many NDC political soothsayers were left in no doubt about the new spirit of change and of renewal that is blowing across the NDC party.

“In Hanna Bissiw (new National Women's Organiser) and in George Opare Addo (new National Youth Organiser), the grand movement for change within the party does appear to be in full throttle,” he stated.

“It is now as certain as daylight. And it appears unstoppable. Some say it is a sure signal of a cataclysmic end to the dreams of the old leadership in the party who will not pay heed to the loud calls of nature for total renewal of the old structures that carried the party on a stretcher to its teary recovery ward in 2016,” he indicated.