So is her hubby referred to as "Founder" of NDC - wrong again! For some of us it doesn't matter if he continues to accept the flattery of "Endicis Conditor" (did I hear it right?) so long as everybody knows that what he founded is a virtual NDC not the original.

Some very mature and respected opinion leaders of communities still act cowardly, crawling on all fours before a once cowardly leader who once clawed and yanked at rough concrete floor to stay alive in his cell. And to say that Sumani Zakari, one person with a large NDC following in the north (and known for his fearlessness) still trembles before Rawlings is what beats the imagination of many of his followers.

Also known as "Suffer To Gain", and now simply, "Suffer", Sumani and others truly suffered to establish NDC in the north. In the days of the late Muhammadu Maida, Suffer's name was no. 2 in the region (though Mr. Gado Sulemana was the vice chairman). Why then the fear for Rawlings?

The answer is not far-fetched. When former Flt Lt. Rawlings sent his revolution to the capital of "Kavini" (Tamale), one of the early batches of citizens he laid his hands on was "Suffer". In that batch were some other prominent citizens that were self- made (but some of them left this world in penury because of torture and seizure of the sweat of their labour).

It's reported that at first "Suffer" refused to break down, but as the torture became intense he succumbed in public but with dignity. Dignity because he didn't wail under extreme lashes from the revolutionaries, like others did and begged for mercy. But his "kavini" was gone, and men became women.

He was publicly paraded on the streets of Tamale half naked and lashed to the bone. He and others did conservancy and other menial jobs openly, in the presence of their weeping wives and husbands and children. That was the revolution. And that fear has since gripped some of the victims for life, and methinks "Suffer" is not excluded.

Imagine somebody who suffered to gain, and suffering again! With the experience of how to gain after suffering, little wonder that "Suffer" quickly rushed to join the new party called NDC when Rawlings clicked his fingers, fear not withstanding.

But that was long ago "Suffer", long, long ago. You need not fear J. J. now. You needed not explain to him your version of the Northern Region primaries, with the tone of a child molester apologizing to the police corporal at the counter after the first of many slaps came. Some of your supporters didn't like the tone as presented in a newspaper.

You are a man with a large following "Suffer", and you never tolerated nonsense; few people could calm you down whenever you felt you were right. And what's more, many people in Tamale have reported the regional primaries, and all indications point to the fact that you were right. Azorka and his band of hooligans provoked you.

That NDC is divided there is no doubt about it. That division is stronger in the Northern Region, the usual Obed/Rawlings. "Suffer" has always been in Obed's camp. Ibrahim Adam has always been faithful to Rawlings and wife. Ibrahim wanted to renew his political career by seeking the chairmanship position of NDC in the region.

"Suffer" said no, he deserved it, he was on the ground when Ibrahim Adam was serving time in prison, and went further to remind the Rawlings man that their constitution bars ex-cons from contesting certain positions within the party.

According to more stories in Tamale, another silent reason raised behind "Suffer's" closed doors was that Ibrahim Adam is of the Abudu stock of the Dagbon fratricidal issue. It was actually this second reason that hurt Adam more, and he quickly withdrew on the advice of some opinion leaders and religious men. That was when Kunkundana came into the picture to replace Ibrahim Adam. The stage was thus set.

According to reports, on the eve of the primaries, aspirant Sumani, alias "Suffer" sent for his warriors from Tamale suburbs of Vitin, Nyanshegu, Kanvilli, Sanerigu (oh, our poor village!), Bielpala, and Lamashegu. They took positions on treetops and in shrubs near the NDC regional headquarters, the venue of the event as early as 4 am. Stories abound of how they were given doses of a certain something that could keep them in the soldiering spirit all the way to the outskirts of Moscow.

The original venue of the primaries was the GNAT Hall. At a very last minute the regional coordinator upon a hint cancelled the arrangement. It was a wise decision, as we will later get to know.

Reports indicate that by 7 am Rawlings' Kunkundana's warriors, numbering about mere 30 stormed the NDC regional office, the venue. The contingent was led by no less a person than Azorka, the local mischief- maker and lord of the hooligans. He is a guy who always fights in a crowd and in the open, not man- to- man in alleys.

We remember Azorka in Wulensi, when he knelt down and wept like a small sister who had stepped on a pin. Azorka wept bitterly before some NPP youth (whom he had deserted some time ago to join NDC) during a fight at the Wulensi bye-elections. He begged them to "fear Naawuni" not to kill him. Meanwhile his companion-at-arms, the Nachin-naa had taken to his heels and vanished in the teak plantation, his talisman-decorated smock lashing at teak trees as he meandered in between them.

This same Azorka came with the pro-Rawlings fighters to the elections. Eye witnesses testify that when Azorka and group arrived they went straight to work, breaking louver blades and chairs and made sure that every movable object got scattered. They were also reported to have taken heavy doses of certain something, for the destroyed tirelessly.

Suddenly emerged the pro-Obed division from their hiding places. It was pure mayhem. Residents of Kalpohin, Tishigu and Russian Bungalows heard gunshots. Kunkundana's pro- Rawlings group was pounded without mercy. They ran helter-skelter like donkeys, leaving behind their instruments of war, including machetes, cudgels, axes and of course some talismans. An eye witness said they could have been tracked by "Suffer's" group if they had wanted to do so, through blood stains on their flight path.

Battered Azorka's physical condition was the first tit bit to reach the outside world. A friend called from Tokyo to find out whatever happened to Azorka and Tinkpandow had to crosscheck from Tamale. Indeed they gave it to him. Everybody in Tamale was talking about the wounds inflicted on Azorka more than the event itself.

When his soldiers took to their heels they forgot about their fallen leader. It was one of "Suffer's" warriors who got Azorka to his feet and told him to run like he always did in moments like the one he was found in. And Azorka took some moon strides.

In his flight Azorka stopped to take a rest. Miraculously Baba Jamoni, a smallish but handsome young man from Gushegu and a reporter of Diamond FM, suddenly surfaced. Unwisely he requested an instant interview with Azorka regarding the polls and also how he sustained his wounds. The crook instead gave Jamoni a couple of punches and continued home to his wife to be massaged with hot water.

After "Suffer's" troops had secured the venue they declared the area a no-trespass zone for the pro-Rawlings faction. Within a short while elections were conducted and winners declared. Frankly no Rawlings supporter had the dog's chance to contest. (But then so what, Suffer? If they say it was a coup, Rawlings himself did some and sustained one for nigh nineteen years. Keep it Suffer, don't let them take it away from you. Zede Bidon has himself announced that the elections were free and fair).

After the elections, Kunkundana and associates held a press conference at Kulikuli School to state their case. They gave mother NDC one week within which fresh elections were to be conducted or else they would advise themselves. After one week nothing was heard so they gave the party headquarters a second chance, one more week, threatening to hold elections and elect parallel regional executives.

It was then that Bede Zidon's office wrote them, warning them that they had no right to do that since the polls were free and fair. The Kunkundana group felt that Bede had betrayed Rawlings by coming out publicly to counter the "Founder's" opinion that the elections were not free nor fair. Indeed some of them in Tamale labeled Bede an opportunist and added that Frances Assam "The Rebel" was less treacherous than Bede.

They therefore proceeded to write a biting petition to the NDC national headquarters at Kokomlemle where gurus are trying to find out, with a flashlight, what it all meant. A copy of the letter was sent to Mr. Rawlings.

No wonder "Conditor" publicly lambasted the northern executives of his property. Since his speeches are so deep and normally requires deep thinkers in NDC to explain to ordinary Ghanaians who "don't understand the man", we would venture to suggest that he was telling his party in shrouded language to: "Examine the possibility of conducting fresh elections and making sure you don't use money or kako, and making sure that Kundana becomes the chairman, so that he can influence northerners not to allow any elections but simply accept Prof Mills to go for it otherwise I am disgraced.

You see what I mean? What I mean is, don't listen to Bagbin and his nonsense of not voting for a southerner, you see what I mean? No matter where we come from we're all Ghanaians, you see what I mean? Even the Akan party itself is going to take an Akan because that's what they have. We have Mills and it's got to be Mills, you see what I mean? Bring in Kun-whats the name again? Yes Kunkunaa and let's move this party."

Hmmmm!!! A word of the wise is found in the north.