NDC To Win 18 Seats In Accra - Alabi

ALMOST EIGTHEEN months away from next year's general elections, the Greater Accra regional chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr. Joshua Alabi, has predicted his party will win 18 out of the 22 parliamentary seats in the region.

He said the NDC, since losing power, has for some time now analyzed the trend of events and is poised to reclaim at least most of the parliamentary seats "donated" to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP).

According to him, the NDC having lost the 2000 elections due to complacency and press unfriendliness, has observed its mistakes and has now put its structures together to enable the party not only to pick eighteen seats in the region but win the presidential as well.

"We lost the seat because there was some sort of complacency among us and we were not friendly to the press and as a result, majority decided to vote for the NPP."

Mr. Joshua Alabi, former Greater Accra regional minister, who doubles as a lecturer at the Institute of Professional Studies (IPS), made this known to Chronicle in an interview and argued that the ruling NPP had woefully failed to deliver almost all of their campaign promises.

The failed promises, he said, have however deepened the woes of the citizens.

According to Mr. Alabi, statistics available to him indicate that there are people in the region who did not vote for the NDC or the NPP because they were tired of the NDC, and they have now resolved to give the mandate back to the NDC to brighten their future, having learned from their past mistakes.

As a result, the chairman noted that the next general elections are not going be on a silver platter for the ruling government like they have enjoyed in the recent by-elections.

He contended that there is no way under which the NDC, which has the solutions to the unfolding unfavourable situations prevailing in the country, irrespective of all the accusations, would lose the next elections.

He said, "the fact that the NDC has re-organized, assessed its performance as a one time government party in power, we have critically examined our mistakes to the extent that when we come back to power in next year's election, we shall deliver to meet the aspirations of the people."

When asked whether meeting the aspirations of Ghanaians is not just a political talk to convince the electorate to vote for the party, he answered in the negative.

The IPS lecturer who has been out of the media for some time now expressed his dissatisfaction of the way and manner the party activists have been defecting to the ruling party and appealed to those who have crossed carpet to reconsider their decision.

He said whatever form of victimization that caused them to defect should be buried and urged them to trace their route to the motherland, adding that there is no place like home.

The former MP for Krowor constituency expressed his dismay at the resignation of Mr. Kofi Asante, adding that it has not only created a vacuum for the NDC but also for the nation as a whole.

"It is sad that a nation could lose such a vocal person in Parliament because he criticizes the government and puts it on its toes."

The former minister however, urged the public not to attack the ex-president on whatever he says, but rather analyze whatever he says.

He added that it is unfortunate that the former president ruled for almost 20 years and managed to achieve something for the nation, but at the end of the day, Mr. Rawlings is subjected to various insults as if he achieved absolutely nothing.

Mr. Alabi, one time Ghana Football Association chairman, argued that the flagbearer of the party, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills, is a man of his own and that he is not remotely controlled as is being speculated in the public domain.