“I have an idea of what it takes to run in this race” – Spio-Garbrah

• Posted on October 18, 2017
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

Former Minister of Trades and Industry Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah is upbeat about his chances of leading the largest opposition party for the 2020 presidential elections.

It will be the second time the former African Development Bank (AfDB) employee will be contesting the presidential primary if he files his nomination. He thinks though it will be tough contesting with the names so far making rounds, “I have an idea of what it takes to run in this race”. “I have been in tougher races,” he told MG News’ Komla Klutse on Tuesday. “You think competing against Mr Eddie Annan, Alhaji Iddrisu Mahama and [the late] Professor [JEA] Mills was a small race?” he quizzed. Dr Spio-Garbrah was speaking on the sidelines of a press briefing to announce some decisions of the National Executive Committee of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Among the decisions is the replacement of the biometric register with a manual one. 

Dr Spio-Garbrah believes he has firm support from the core members of the party given his consistent interaction with them, a marked departure from his previous experience as a flagbearership aspirant. “I was a younger person with less experience [then],” he said. “I was not even living in Ghana at that time. I had to leave my job which is an international organisation where I was not even supposed to do partisan politics and come in with two months into an election, declare my candidacy and become runner-up.”

He expressed optimism that he will be victorious this time. The party is yet to officially open nomination for the presidential primary but key among leading members who have expressed desire to contest are former President John Dramani Mahama, former Vice President Paa Kwesi Bekoe Amissah-Arthur, longest-serving Member of Parliament Alban Bagbin, former Rector of UPSA Prof Joshua Alabi, former MP Nii Amasah Namoale and Stephen Atubiga.

-3news