Mahama appointees cause of 2016 defeat – Nana Ato Dadzie

Former Chief of Staff, Nana Ato Dadzie says the opposition National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) lost the 2016 elections because appointees of former President John Mahama failed him.

The NDC led then by incumbent John Mahama unexpectedly lost the presidential and parliamentary elections held on December 7, 2016 after polling just 44.40 percent.

Then opposition leader of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo recorded a stunning 53.85 percent of the total valid votes cast to win the election.

The NDC was also outperformed by the NPP in the parliamentary election after it lost majority control in parliament from 148 to 106 while the NPP increased from a minority 122 to 169.

A 13-memebr committee put together to investigate the defeat by the party, celebrating 25 years of existence, submitted its findings to the party leadership last week.

Details of the reports are yet to be officially made public but Nana Ato Dadzie said the defeat of the NDC was caused by then government officials. He said the persons appointed by the former President had the capacity to do excel but they failed the NDC.
Ghana’s longest-serving Chief of Staff made the comments during an interview with Raymond Acquah on ‘Upfront’, a current affairs programme on the Joy News channel on Multi TV.

Election 2020

Nana Ato Dadzie also discounted the claims that the NDC lost because most of the president’s appointees were corrupt.

He is also rooting for the return of ex-president John Mahama in 2020 because, he believes the former Ghanaian leader is the NDC’s most reliable candidate ahead of the polls.

“To me, I think he is the best bet [provided he would have learnt his lessons]. He would have to agitate among his people and the populace and then come out with credible positions,” he said.