Prez. Mahama challenger denied forms – “We will not sell the forms to him”

• Posted on September 9, 2015
• by Nana Kwesi Coomson
• Comment

The man seeking to challenge President John Mahama for the flagbearer position of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), George Boateng, yesterday suffered a major setback in his quest to lead the party.

This was when he went to the NDC’s Adabraka head office to pick fresh nomination forms certified by party General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, popularly known as General Mosquito. The NDC polling station youth organiser at Oyarifa in the Madina constituency near Accra failed in his bid.

A deputy general secretary, Koku Anyidoho, later explained to the media that the party would never sell the forms to someone who claimed he would legalise marijuana.

“We will not sell the forms to him, and nobody can cut off our heads. The NPP and the media can have him if they wish, but we don’t want him,” Anyidoho rudely stated.

It followed claims by Asiedu Nketia that the initial forms Mr Boateng was issued with by an accountant at the NDC head office were draft copies and not the certified true copies for the flagbearership contest.

George, who went to the Pantang (psychiatric) hospital the previous day to clear himself of any mental issues as had been alleged by General Mosquito, went to the NDC office with intent to get his forms replaced.

At 1:20 pm, the 45-year-old party activist and clearing agent at Aviance at the Kotoka International Airport arrived at the party office with the supposed draft copies of nomination forms in hand with a horde of media practitioners following him.

According to him, Asiedu Nketia had personally called to ask him to come for a replacement of the forms he was earlier issued with.

“They say I should bring the draft copies in exchange for the original,” he told the anxious journalists.

Drama

A few minutes later, Mr George Boateng attempted to climb upstairs to see Asiedu Nketia.

But that was not meant to be as he was blocked by a stoutly-built security guard who informed him that the General Secretary was not yet in.

He was, however, not allowed into the building and had to hang around at the car park granting interviews to the waiting journalists.

Even though General Mosquito, who takes pride in the fact that he is the only person with the mandate to issue out nomination forms for the flagbearership contest, was not readily available – and it was not clear when he would surface at the head office –George opted to wait for him.

After close to 30 minutes of waiting, General Mosquito pulled up in an ash Toyota Land Cruiser V8 vehicle around 1:50 pm and quickly went straight to his office in the plush four-storey multi-million dollar building.

Frustration

George then made a second attempt to go and see him but was again told to hold on and that when the General Secretary needed him, he would send for him, exposing George to ridicule.

But after waiting for a long time without any call for him to meet the NDC General Secretary, around 2:40 pm the NDC flagbearer hopeful started grumbling following his realisation that there was a deliberate attempt to frustrate him.

Disappointment

He therefore had no choice but to take a bow, leaving the premises with signs of disappointment written on his face, saying, “I’m very disappointed. I know it’s the strategy of some of the executives.”

“There is pressure on me to step aside so that the president will go unopposed, which is uncalled for; that is not democracy,” he averred.

Asked what he would do next, he answered, “I will go to court for an injunction on the flagbearership election or for the court to force him to accept my nomination forms.

“I will wait if by tomorrow I don’t hear anything from the General Secretary, I will instruct my lawyers to file at the court.”

By Charles Takyi-Boadu