Former President John Mahama does not stand a chance, as far as winning the 2024 general elections is concerned because his opponents in the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), have sullied his name with corruption to the extent that he has become unattractive to the floating voter, former Kumasi mayor Kojo Bonsu has said.

Mr Bonsu, who is eying the flagbearer slot of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), told Citi TV‘s lifestyle show Upside Down in an interview that the biggest opposition party did very little to salvage the name of the 2020 flagbearer, who he described as a fine gentleman – a situation, he noted, that has caused Mr Mahama irreparable damage.

Mr Bonsu first explained why he intends to run in the race.

“There is a vacancy and that is why we are all contesting the seat”, he said, adding: “It is democracy and our party believes in democracy, so, we don’t push people to take over. We don’t want that”.

“So, if one is given the chance and he wins it, he will do the job. So, it is fair we all do it”, he noted.

“One other reason I am contesting is not that I hate President Mahama. No. What has he done to me?”, he asked.

“The problem is that people have lied a lot in this country about John Mahama. They put corruption on him”, Mr Bonsu pointed out.

“They have said a lot of things against him that you can’t even take it off. NDC has the numbers in terms of votes but NPP has really soiled John Mahama that I feel so sad.”

In his view, the NDC, as a party, has not helped the situation.

“We should have redeemed him [Mahama] long ago but he doesn’t have a chance now”, he noted.

“Let’s bring in a fresh person so that the swing voters wouldn’t have anything to say against President Mahama”, Mr Bonsu reckoned.

In his view, “I stand a better chance than Mahama because I have not been soiled. So, that is where I come in”.

“It’s so sad”, he bemoaned, pointing out: “He [Mr Mahama] is a great gentleman, speaks very well, very affable but he has been put in the mud so much”.

“They have tagged him with corruption, women’s affairs and we the NDC have not been able to defend it and get him out of it”, he complained.

To him, “if the party had corrected this, we wouldn’t have come to this level”.

As far as Mr Bonsu is concerned, Mr Mahama’s name and face on the ballot paper will not do the NDC any good in the next election.

“If we want to win the 2024 elections, I think let’s bring someone like me”, he proposed.

“I am eligible to do it. It’s not an issue of fighting Mahama, insulting the former President or doing anything but the situation we find ourselves in, let’s try someone new and see if it will work.”