The desperation of former President John Dramani Mahama to win the elections of 2024 has taken a new twist, following revelations that he issued a number of threats to Members of Parliament of the National Democratic Congress, particularly on the e-levy bill.
Credible sources at the retreat, which was held at a popular resort in Ada, over the weekend, ahead of the commencement first meeting of this year’s session, tell this paper that the former President stressed the importance of the NDC MPs making sure that the e-levy bill was not passed by the House.
According to the source, former President Mahama stated that one of the reasons that took him and the NDC into opposition, in the heavy defeat of 2016, was the inability of his government to manage the economy, thereby having to seek the assistance of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).
The former President is said to have indicated that, as a result, the NPP propaganda machine went into over-drive, labelling him (President Mahama) and the NDC as incompetent, a message which sunk into the minds of Ghanaians, one which from which neither he nor the NDC have fully recovered from.
“President Mahama feels now is the time to exact revenge”, the source told the paper, especially as the introduction of the e-levy will mean the Akufo-Addo Government will have the much-needed financial muscle not only to balance the books, but also to carry out ‘unprecedented’ infrastructural development which has the potential to keep the NDC in opposition for a long time”, the source added.
As a result, the former President, vividly agitated at the meeting by this prospect, made it unequivocally clear that the NDC has no choice but to oppose vehemently the passage of the e-levy for their own survival.
“Akufo-Addo and his government must also be said to have mismanaged the economy so they can also go to the IMF. We cannot allow the rhetoric of COVID-19 and its effects, even if true, to be used to convince Ghanaians about the difficulties the country is facing,” the former President is alleged to have said.
Already, prior to the address by the former NDC leader, some NDC MPs were said to have “come around”, and were ready to support the passage of the bill, as its benefits to the nation were immense.
“After President Mahama’s speech, it had become clear to some of the level-minded MPs, though in very small numbers, that the opposition they were being told to mount against the e-levy was not because of their love for the masses of Ghanaians, but rather for the survival of the NDC.
Whip System
Former President Mahama then proceeded to instruct the Minority Leader and the Minority Chief Whip to ensure that on the day of sitting for the passage of the e-levy, all 137 NDC MPs must be present without fail.
Then came the bombshell.
The former President stated that any NDC MP who breaks rank with the party, and “dares” to vote for the e-levy will be exposed and will face “retribution” from both the party, both at the constituency and social media levels.
The source told the paper that President Mahama made it clear that no MP who breaks rank will survive the politics of the NDC, as that person should kiss his or her political career good bye.
Even though it was met with strong applause from the NDC leadership and some MPs, some NDC MPs present were not amused by the open-nature the threats that had been issued by the former President.
Benefits of e-levy