Kojo Bonsu, a former mayor of Kumasi and an aspirant for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearership, has admitted that he had no chance of defeating former President John Dramani Mahama in the party’s May 13 primaries.
He said he was aware from the beginning that former President Mahama had a strong support base among the party delegates, but he hoped that some of them would change their minds and vote for him.
“I knew it was not possible to beat former President Mahama from the start, but I was optimistic that maybe some people would reconsider and choose me,” he told Citi TV’s Face to Face programme.
He explained that his motive for contesting the former president was to strengthen the party and to show that there is democracy within the NDC.
He added that his challenge also compelled Mr. Mahama to visit all parts of the country and interact with the grassroots, something he would not have done otherwise.
“He [Mr. Mahama] went everywhere because of these primaries. Normally, he would only concentrate on certain regions, but now he has covered everywhere.”
He also commented on former Finance Minister Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, who was also in the race but withdrew at the last minute and took the matter to court over the use of photo albums instead of biometric verification.
He said he respected Dr. Duffuor for his achievements in life, but he disagreed with his decision to go to court.
“He is my senior man, I respect him for what he has done in life, and I have no problem with him. He has his own way of doing things, and he has the right to his actions.”
“I agreed with him on the photo album issue, but I didn’t think he should have gone to court. It was an internal issue that we could have solved internally. It was not a big deal. He could have gone to court earlier, but waiting till the last minute gives the impression that you have other motives to cause confusion,” he said.
John Mahama won a landslide victory in the party’s May 13 primaries with 98.9% of the votes cast, making him the NDC’s flagbearer for the 2024 general elections.
