Jerry John Rawlings is not a faction and will never be - Rawlings

The founder of the opposition National Democratic Party (NDC), Jerry John Rawlings has blamed factionalism within the party as the root cause of the party’s humiliating defeat in the 2016 general elections.

Similarly, he said, the growing division within the party is also attributable to the increasing element of factionalism amongst members of the party.

He explained that the growing factionalism in the party would only lead to disunity and intolerance, hence making the party’s chances of recapturing power from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) bleak.

“Factionalism, intolerance and potential rivals will lead to disunity instead of the unity that we clamour for,” he cautioned.

Mr Rawlings was delivering an address to commemorate this year’s June 4 revolution held at the Madina Social Welfare Street in Accra.

He said he is not part of the factionalism within the party and that he would never be part of any factionalism.

“Jerry John Rawlings is not a faction and will never be,” he said, stressing that “the survival of the NDC is not hinged on any individual”.

Rather, Mr Rawlings said, the party is hinged on the core values upon which it was founded, noting that “it is not hinged on Jerry Rawlings”.

He said if the party does not re-embrace its core values and instead decides to pay lip service to it, “we will deceive ourselves into further embarrassing defeat”.

He, therefore, cautioned the youth in the party not to toe the line of those who are creating factions within the party.

“Our youth have to rise above factionalism created by some to perpetuate their own agenda,” Mr Rawlings counselled the youth of the party.

June 4

June 4 is the day a section of the Ghana Armed Forces led by Flt Lt Rawlings staged a revolt against oppression and corruption in the country in 1979.

Flt Lt Rawlings led a group of junior officers and men of the Ghana Armed Forces in an uprising against the then Supreme Military Council (SMC II) regime led by General F.W.K. Akuffo.

The move was motivated by a desire to stem the scourge of corruption that had engulfed the country at all levels and had led to a virtual breakdown of the economy.

Three months later, the Armed Forces Revolutionary Council (AFRC), led by Flt Lt Rawlings, handed over power to an elected government.