Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper believes former First Lady may abandon her presidential ambition following the demise of her husband.
Benjamin Emmanuel Ephson said Nana Konadu Agyeman-Rawlings may do this “out of respect for her husband.”
“Or perhaps, Mrs Rawlings may decide to still continue and get sympathy votes,” he said.
Mr Ephson told JoyNews that the demise of the former President may affect the political landscape [especially in the upcoming elections].
He argues that the support base of Mr Rawlings will be split, with some electorates voting for the NPP, while others will vote for the NDC with some of them also voting for Mrs Rawlings if she decides to contest.
“I don’t believe that all of the people who love Mr Rawlings will vote NDC. I suspect that a good percentage, may vote NPP.
“Because Rawlings is very comfortable within the NPP hierarchy from the President downwards. And I suspect that maybe a quarter or third of the hardcore Rawlings support might vote for the NPP,” he said.
He added that, the former President was a great politician whose achievements and contributions in the political history of the country cannot be forgotten.
“He is a political huge tree in this country. He lived with political reality. When he came to power in 1982, he had this socialist ideas.
“But those that he brought on board; like Kwesi Botchwey and Ahwoi, they let him know that he will have to look to the Bretton Woods Institutions, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and so he abandoned those ideas,” Mr Ephson said.
The former President died Thursday at about 10:10am aged 73.
Mr Rawlings died at the Korle-Bu teaching hospital where he was receiving treatment after a short illness.
Mr Rawling was born on June 22, 1947. He ruled the country from 1981 to 2001 and also for a brief period in 1979.
He was last seen in public on October 19, during the final funeral rites leading to the burial of his mother, Victoria Agbotui.
Following his demise, President Akufo-Addo has declared a seven day national mourning, and has further ordered that all flags in the country must fly at half mast.
The NDC, led by John Dramani Mahama has also suspended its political activities following the demise of Mr Rawlings. Source; joyonline.com #GoodiesNews
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