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Reports reaching The General Telegraphindicated that there is some tension among the top hierarchy of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the delay of President John Dramani Mahama to announce his campaign team to prosecute the November 7 elections.

Sources within the party told this paper that the delay of unveiling the campaign team members is affecting their activities even though they argued that the leader of the party, Mr Mahama is the master strategist. 

According to them, the party is more than poised to win the upcoming election and to retire the flagbearer of the NPP, Nana Akufo-Addo from active politics but expressed concerned over the delay taking into account that they have less than four months to the national elections.

They were however quick to add that until the campaign members are announced with their defined roles, the adrenaline of the party members to go to the streets is dwindling. “The NPP has announced their campaign team since last year and we are still waiting.

Most of our executives though elected but have no locus now in terms of campaign structure are worried. We need to quickly put things together to enable us to hit the ground running.

“During our last elections, the campaign team was formed early and it helped a lot. We know the president is working hard to win the election and so he must come out with the members. We have few months to the election and it appears as if we are relaxing,” a top party guru hinted this paper. 

The Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah however allayed the concerns of the party members and told this paper that, ‘The president is still consulting.'

President Mahama during the last elections had Mr Elvis Afriyie Ankrah, former Minister of Youth and Sports and the campaign coordinator with Hon Hanna Tetteh as the communications direction with other high ranking officers.

As things stand party members are now sitting on the fence awaiting the whistle from the leader to get them moving into action. 

“Some of us are not happy about the delay but would continue to wait. Others have started murmuring among themselves because they think that for now, we must move higher to tell the success story of our President and for that matter the government," said another party guru.

It would be recalled that Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) last year introduced the national campaign coordinating team of the party. Nana Akufo -Addo unveiled the members of the campaign team at the Party’s 15th extraordinary annual Delegates Conference held in Sunyani on the theme: “Arise for Change 2016.” 

He mentioned Mr Peter Mac Manu, former National Chairman of the Party as the Campaign Manager with all the 10 Regional Chairpersons as members.

Mr Dan Botwe, a former General Secretary of the Party and Member of Parliament for Okre is the campaign Strategist whilst Mr Boakye Agyarko, the campaign Manager for the election 2012 is the Policy Advisor. He said Mr Ken Ofori Atta assisted by Mr Kwabena Amankwaa-Yeboah are in charge of finance, Mr Victor Newman, Director of Research and Nana Akomea, the Director of Communications.

Others included Messrs Mustapha Hamid and Yaw Buabeng Asamoah, spokespersons for Nana Akufo-Addo as well as John Boadu, National Organiser and the Acting General Secretary, Sammy Awuku, the National Youth Organiser and Ms Afisa Otiko Djaba, the National Women Organiser, members. 

Nana Akufo-Addo indicated that the office of the Presidential Candidate would be responsible for monitoring and compliance to achieve targets whilst the Campaign Advisory Committee, the membership of which would be announced at a later date would be chaired by ex-President John Agyekum Kufuor.