[ 2012-08-03 ]

Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah

Spio-Garbrah rejects Rawlingses NDP; cautions NDC on sympathy votes
Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah, a man many political
analysts have tipped to likely bear the flag of
the yet to be certified National Democratic Party
(NDP), has stated emphatically that he is a
fully-blooded member of the ruling NDC; and has
rejected the slightest chance of flirting with any
other party - for now.

Dr Spio-Garbrah had never hidden his disapproval
of certain persons in leadership positions in
government under the watch of the late President
Atta Mills. The former presidential aspirant of
the NDC fell foul of many decisions and
appointments of Prof. Mills, and once accused the
latter of “surrounding himself with team B
players”.

As an ally of the former first couple, Rawlingses,
who also accused the Mills-led government of same,
many have thought he would join the bandwagon of
the splinter party, NDP, formed under the aegis of
the Rawlingses and being chaired by a former
General Secretary of the NDC Dr Josiah Aryeh.

But speaking on Metro TV’s flagship programme Good
Evening Ghana Thursday on a wide range of issues,
Dr Spio-Garbrah was emphatic that he holds his
political allegiance to only the NDC.

“My God,” he exclaimed when host of the show Paul
Adom-Otchere asked if he Spio-Grabrah would vote
for President Mahama in the December 7 elections,
“Can you consider any other party or individual I
ought to vote for? I am a member of the NDC; or
you know me to be a member of any other party? ...
I have played my role in building a very strong
party, there is no reason why I should [not vote
for the party].”

Sympathy votes

Dr Ekwow Spio-Garbrah who resigned his position as
a Vice Chairman of the NDC to contest the party’s
presidential election in 2006 counseled the
president against putting his hopes on the demise
of Prof. Atta Mills, if he wants to coast to
victory in the December general elections.

“How many sympathy votes are you going to get? It
is not easy to estimate sympathy votes, and why
would you be banking on sympathy votes?”

He said the average Ghanaian would vote on
“fundamental reasons” such as good education,
quality healthcare, internal and personal
security, accessible roads, promising economy
among others.

Every thumb

Urging the party to embark on a “mutual
forgiveness” to forge ahead, he also noted that it
behoves President Mahama to ensure that the “unity
[which] eluded President Mills” due to actions of
persons around him is achieved to win the party
the upcoming elections.

Dr Spio-Grabrah considered it as “desirable” for
President Mahama to recall the likes of Josiah
Aryeh who are now rooted in the NDP into the folds
of the NDC.

“If you think every thumb is important, that is
the principle: if you think every thumb is
important then you treat every thumb as important,
but if you disregard some thumbs then they will go
somewhere else.”

He touted robust economic growth as one of Prof.
Mills’ overlooked achievements. He noted that in
2011 “Ghana became the fastest running country in
economy development in the world, achieving 14
percent GDP growth.”

Source - MyjoyOnline

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