JM 2016: NDC launches campaign in grand style

The president's arrival

The ruling party and the biggest political party in Ghana, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) launched its campaign on sunday the 14th of August, 2016. The event, held in the newly-built Cape Coast stadium in the central region was attended by NDC loyalists from all part of the country. The event has been lauded and described as one of the biggest and well-managed political gatherings in the history of Ghanaian politics.

Though the event was scheduled to begin at exactly 1pm, perhaps to make way for those who cannot afford to miss church on a sunday, the event ground was more than 90% full as at 6am Sunday morning. Party loyalists from the 10 regions of the country traveled overnight and were in the stadium from as early as 5am. This made it difficult for most people from Cape Coast and other parts of the central region to sit because most of them left their homes after 7 am thinking they were leaving homes much earlier for the event.

Party founder, Jerry John Rawlings receiving cheers from the crowd

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There were a number of activities during the campaign launch. These include the introduction of dignitaries, musical performances and other displays from some celebrities in Ghana. However, the main event started at exactly 1pm as scheduled. There were a number of speakers on the event before the arrival of the president. Speakers include deputy minister of education Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwah, Nii Lantey Vanderpauye, the minister of sports and youth empowerment, majority leader of parliament, Alban Bagbin and actor John Dumelo.

Others include; the minister of foreign affairs and regional integration Hon. Hanna Tetteh, minister of employment and labour relations Hon. Haruna Iddrisu, the party's general secreatry Johnson Asiedu Nketiah national organizer Kofi Adams and party chairman Kofi Portuphy. Later, the former president and founder of the NDC Jerry John Rawlings and the vice president, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur took their turn to speak to the gathering before the president and the flagbearer of the NDC, H.E John Dramani Mahama delivered his speech to the gathering.

aerial view of the event ground

Ghana’s former President Jerry Rawlings has asked the ruling National Democratic Congress, (NDC) not to underestimate the main opposition party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December 2016 polls. JJ Rawlings, founder of the NDC, said the December polls will be tough and for the NDC to win, it would have to prosecute it on its own terms – the very terms that underpin the party’s formation.

He has consistently steered the party to tread the path of probity, accountability, transparency and honesty, traits he believes will always endear the party to the masses. Mr. Rawlings said judging from where the NPP comes from, the nature of who they are and what they are, the NDC has no businesses fighting them on their terms let alone mimicking them, emphasizing that should the NDC stick true to its founding principles, “no one can ever defeat us.” JJ Rawlings who said he was reserving his core concerns about the party and how it could rally together as a more united and formidable force to a later date, was full of his usual wits, as he moved the packed stadium to bouts of laughter.

He spoke for instance of the cool breeze Cape Coast had to offer, a tête-à-tête with First Lady Lordina Mahama during which the latter had inquired if the party founder was going to boom, as Rawlings has come to be known for his no-holds-barred castigation of what he perceives to be wrong.

On that occasion, he said he had wondered why the First Lady had come to sit close to him, and he also located his daughter Zanetor Rawlings from her seat, pointing out how attentive she was ready to hear what her dad had to say. He called her ‘Osu La Gatha’, amidst laughter, a name the doctor-politician has come to be associated with in recent times as a result of widespread affection for her from the people in the constituency she is contesting in as a parliamentary candidate.

Ex president Rawlings and president Mahama exchanging pleasantries as Kofi Portuphy looks on

He said such attacks are uncalled for looking at the proud history of credible elections that the EC has conducted over the years. Speaking at the launch of the Party's Campaign at Cape Coast in the Central Region, President Mahama reiterated government's support for the Electoral Commission. He said social media will not be banned on Election Day.

The general secretary of the party spoke about his excitement and readiness of his party for the election. He recounted the pressure on him sometime ago when the party had some parliamentary primary elections at hand as the major election drew closer. "Today, I am in my battle attire because we are the only political party in Ghana with candidates for all the seats in parliament". General Mosquito also used the opportunity to introduce the 15-memeber campaign team of which he is the chairman.

The National Chairman of the NDC, Kofi Portuphy described President John Mahama as an unbeatable candidate in the forthcoming elections. Introducing President Mahama to the teeming crowed at the NDC’s 2016 elections campaign launch in Cape Coast, Mr. Portuphy said: “Not only is President Mahama unbeatable, he is also “a candidate of humble origins, a man of the people, a man of the youth and women, a man who stands for the old and the young, a visionary who says we will build this number of schools and the schools are springing up in every community that was targeted. The event, held at the newly-built Cape Coast stadium, a venue which Mr. Portuphy described as evidence of the hard work of both president and party and “no one can challenge or doubt.”

While, thanking party supporters for their contribution to the party’s achievements and for turning up massively for the program, he reiterated that the NDC has “a man who is humble, who recongnises the potential in the youth and has given opportunity to many of them in the last four years. A man that we can all boast about that he has maintained the unity of our party. The man is not quarrelsome at all. The man has infected all of us with the idea of peace and we want him to continue to consolidate the peace of this country.”

Mr. Portuphy said it is for President Mahama’s sake that “the NDC is not fighting anybody physically in this election but we are in the corners of this country continuing to serve them in very humble, transparent manner, in an accountable manner.” He said evidence abound in every part of the country of President Mahama’s good works, and of his transforming lives.