Abdula Nabila, the Ashanti regional youthful organizer of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) has reminded the former President John Dramani Mahama, the flagbearer of the party in the upcoming 2024 general elections to be guided against the relationship that later turned sour because of the misunderstanding that ensued between the former President Jerry John Rawlings and Mr Kow Nkensen Arkaah the then running mate of the late former President in choice of his running mate for the general elections.
According to the youth organizer, Mr Mahama must not listen to sections of people with the view that, Mr Julius Debrah, the former Chief of Staff is his close associate and for that matter being a running mate to him would not help.
He was of the view that, in realizing a successful good governance in terms of performance administratively, largely depends on the cordial relationship between the President and his vice in managing the economy of the country with the Vice President being the head of the economic management team.
Mr Osman Nabila reiterated that, a flagbearer and his running mate must have something in common with unity of purpose and same ideology to enable them compromise in governance.
He reminded the former President to be cautious not to make a mistake in selecting someone with a different mindset and ideology but choose someone he can be trusted, the reason he largely believe that Mr. Julius Debrah the former Chief of Staff to be the perfect match to partner him going into the 2024 general elections.
According to him, the leader of National Convention Party (NCP) prior to the 1992 presidential elections, formed an alliance with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of Jerry Rawlings, and every Ghanaian Living Everywhere (EGLE) party.
He disclosed that, as part of the deal, Mr. Arkaah became the Vice-Presidential candidate on Rawlings ticket, saying Rawlings and Arkaah had a difficult working relationship throughout their four-year term, with alleged punch-up between them at a cabinet meeting on the December 28,1995.
The indicated that, Rawlings alluded that there had been some form of misunderstanding because there was a difference style of leadership between the former President Jerry John Rawlings and Arkaah which the former President described Mr. Kow Arkaah style as the “stubborn cat”
Mr Abdala disclosed that, after that incident, Mr Arkaah who was the then Vice President became the leader of the Convention People’s Party formed by the merger of the NCP and the People’s Convention Party.
The merger he said was announced on 29 January 1996 and Mr. Kow Arkaah, who continued as the Vice President of Ghana, stood as a candidate in the 1996 presidential elections and lost, and
was replaced in the Rawlings government by Professor John Evans Atta Mills, a law lecturer, as Rawlings’ Vice President.
