NDC Cries Foul Over NPP's Win In By-election

The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is crying foul over the campaign strategy adopted by the New Patriotic Party to win the Bimbilla Parliamentary seat. The NPP’s Dominic Nitiwul was declared winner of Thursday’s by-election. He polled 14,380 votes representing 58 % of the total votes as against 9,091 by the National Democratic Congress’ candidate Mohammed Ibn Abass. But the NDC says the ruling party bought the votes with monetary and material inducement.

The General Secretary of the NDC, Alhaji Huudu Yahaya says his party had campaigned well and could have won the elections if the NPP had not influenced the voters. He said the victory of the NPP is a danger for the country's fledgling democracy.

Alhaji Huudu Yahaya accused the NPP of pumping too much money and resources into the campaign adding that the NDC was going to analyse the situation and adopt appropriate strategies in subsequent elections. But the General Secretary of the NPP, Dan Botwe attributed their victory in the Bimbilla by-election to "hard work and commitment by party members."

He told newsmen that the rank and file of the party put in their best to win the hearts of the people to vote for the NPP, adding that lessons learnt from the by-election would help the party to strategise well to win 18 out of the Northern region's 23 seats in the 2004 general election. Mr. Botwe accused the opposition NDC of whipping up ethnic sentiments between the Konkombas and the Nanumbas.

According to him, the NDC should be held responsible for any confusion in the area. He said some students affiliated with the NDC were arrested by the Police for going round the communities showing to the people horrible pictures of the 1994 Northern conflict. Reacting to allegations that the NPP shared money to people to buy their votes, Mr Botwe said the practice had been the style of the NDC and they were assuming that the NPP did the same.