Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur hints of interest in Presidency
Former Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has given hints of his interest in the Presidency, and said even though he was thinking about contesting the presidential primary on the ticket of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), he does not think he was in the race yet.
Speaking to journalists on Monday, after the wreath laying ceremony at the Asomdwee Park to mark the fifth anniversary of the passing of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, Mr Amissah-Arthur said: "I am not considering it [running for president] but people have come to me and I am thinking about it."
Mr Amissah-Arhur’s name has come up as an interested candidate for the NDC flagbearship race and so when he was asked about it, he said he was not prepared for the race and thinks he was not there yet.
“I am not in the race yet but nobody knows what will happen in a year’s time,” he added and insisted that the NDC’s objective as of now was to mend the internal cracks in the party.
Message
Stressing on what it would take for him to initiate his campaign, Mr Amissah-Arthur said, “It takes a lot of work. I saw what Prof. Mills did, I saw him travelling around the country, I saw him meet people, I saw him prepare, you have to prepare a message, you can't just want to be president because you want to be president [but] because you want to deliver something to the country so I am not there yet," he said.
Adding the former Vice President said, “there are many people who are speculating about this, it’s not time. We are trying to make our party into a cohesive organisation. That’s all we are interested in as for leadership, I don’t know if there are any serious people who are politicking at this time, because I don’t think it’s time enough. I am not considering it but the people have come to me and I said that I’m thinking about it.”
Interested candidates
A number of names have come up for discussion as potential flagbearers for the NDC in 2020.
They include former President John Dramani Mahama who lost the 2016 presidential elections to President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
Others such as Mr Sylvester Mensah, a former Chief Executive of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Prof Joshua Alabi, a former Vice Chancellor of the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Mr Gossie Tanoh, Mr Alban S.K. Bagbin, the Second Deputy Speaker of Parliament and Dr Ekow Spio-Garbrah, a former Minister of Trade among others have come up for discussion.
Mr Sylvester Mensah on his part officially declared his intention for the race in a radio interview on June 28, 2017 and said he was considering calls on him to contest.
He indicated he was still doing some consultations regarding the calls and that “if the appeal crystalizes with the general demands and expectations, I will go for it.”
Writer’s email: enoch.frimpong@graphic.com.gh
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