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A group calling itself Friends of Atta Mills is asking the leadership of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to end its relationship with party founder, Flt. Jerry John Rawlings. Members say the former President’s recent utterances are calculated to scuttle President Mahama’s and NDC’s re-election bid.

It describes as in bad taste Mr. Rawlings’ interview with Nigerian media in which he sought to tag late President Mills and President Mahama’s governments to corruption. The former President is also reported to have endorsed NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo Addo, as incorrupt with the ability to fight the canker.

A spokesperson for Friends of Atta Mills, Gabriel Agah, says Mr. Rawlings’s connection to the NDC ended the day he supported his wife at the National Democratic Party (NDP) launch. “President Rawlings went to the launching of his wife’s NDP campaign. He was there and supported his wife. Per the laws of this country, if you declare your support for any other candidate than any other candidate, it means you are out. President Rawlings is out of NDC”.

The group believes the conduct of Mr. Rawlings could spell doom for the ruling party because he has endorsed Nana Addo Akufo-Addo. “It’s becoming too much of him [Mr. Rawlings]. Whenever he speaks and mention the names of President Mills and Mahama, he mentions corruption and makes wild allegations against them without any evidence," Mr. Agah said.

Mr. Agah warns the group will seek legal redress to restrain the NDC national executive from assigning the former President to any role in the party’s election campaign. “Rawlings from 2009 has never campaigned for the NDC. He never campaigned for President Mills so I don’t see the reason why he has to come back this time around and campaigned for President Mahama," he added.

He said they are writing a petition to the National headquarters to lodge a formal complaint, adding that, "If the leadership fail to honour it and still insist and call him to our campaign, then we will send the matter to court because we believe he is no longer an NDC member.”