IMANI Africa President, Franklin Cudjoe, has said former President John Mahama only stands a chance to ascend to the Presidency again if he can show true remorse to Ghanaians.
Mr. Mahama was voted out of power in 2016 amid a cloud of discontent from Ghanaians.
[contextly_sidebar id=”IIKhpNi6opaF9ByrRHOpf0XZMzuo9RZj”]The perceived disappointment with the Mahama administration manifested itself in the polls, with the National Democratic Congress losing by about one million votes, the heaviest defeat for an incumbent in Ghana’s history.
But Mr. Mahama is staging a comeback saying he owed God and Ghanaians the greatest responsibility of recapturing power from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP).
However, Mr. Cudjoe said Mr. Mahama’s prospects hinged on much more than his relationship with God.
A lot needs to be done to erase the perception of corruption that tainted the Mahama administration, he added.
The IMANI boss said Mr. Mahama would stand a chance in the next election if he “is willing to do full penitence and then not just say here I am, I am ready because I have consulted, but can show clearly [he has changed] in his own actions, then maybe he may gain some of those grounds back.”
“Does he think he has done enough reflection based upon what he has done or what he did before, and especially the ones that gave him a lot of negative flack, and whether he is able to shed all those things before [contesting],” Mr. Cudjoe quizzed.
He further referenced the ill reputation some of Mr. Mahama’s appointees gained, like former Presidential staffer, Stan Dogbe.
“If persons of this nature were seen or are seen again to behave the same way they behaved, then you have issues,” Mr. Cudjoe warned.
Mr. Mahama joins other notable aspirants in the NDC including the former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the National Health Insurance Authority (NHIA), Sylvester Mensah; Nadowli Kaleo MP, Alban Bagbin and Dr. Ekwow Spio Garbrah; a former Trade and Industry Minister; Former Vice Chancellor of the University for Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA), Prof. Joshua Alabi and Cape Coast South MP, and Kweku Ricketts-Hagan.
Mr. Mahama is already looking like the clear frontrunner with the 10 Regional Chairmen of the NDC have backed his candidature.
The 10 regional chairman, after a meeting at the time, issued a communique in which they urged the former President to consider running for the 2020 polls.
Ninety-four NDC MPs out of the Minority Caucus of 106 also endorsed Mr. Mahama as the flagbearer for the 2020 polls prior to his announcement.
The list of the MPs backing him was made public after he made his intention to contest public.
The 94 MPs welcomed the decision and promised to support Mahama’s campaign.
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By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citinewsroom.com/Ghana