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Politics of Wednesday, 13 February 2008

Source: Chronicle

NDC crumbling at the seams in stronghold

NOW AFTER TONGU IT`S NKWANTA

Trouble engulfs NDC after years of broken promises and lies

Defections have been a feature of politics in Ghana for some years now, but when thousands of supporters of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the party's stronghold of the Volta region trooped to swear allegiance to their bitterest rivals, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), then eyebrows will be raised in complete consternation. The venue was Nkwanta South constituency of the Volta region, days after the South Tongu area rebelled in a show of force against ex-President Jerry Rawlings' imposition of 39 year old business man Kwabla Woyome, as parliamentary candidate of the constituency.

Members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 98 communities have decided to sever links with the party and pitch camp with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) citing the neglect of the northern part of the region by the NDC, when the party was in power as one of the reasons.

So far, four thousand two hundred NDC members have defected, and out of the figure three thousand four hundred and thirty have gone through the registration process to become members of the NPP.

The Nkwanta South NPP Youth Wing Chairman, Mr. Arimiyawu Tairu, who made this known to The Chronicle at Nkwanta last Friday, said the forms have been sent to the party headquarters in Accra while the rest were being processed to be forwarded to the headquarters.

He pointed out that the massive defection to the NPP was the result of the activities of the youth in the area, where the defectors boldly informed them about their decision which the party initially failed to take serious, until they later realized how determined the people were.

He said almost all the defectors declared their stand on the basis that the NDC had already started its campaign activities, which according to them, was not different from the messages passed on to them during the last elections and have thus resolved on their own to jump ship.

He said the defectors made reference to the propaganda message of the NDC that the NPP would expel aliens which did not materialize, as a clear sign of the NDC's desire to use all means to regain the reigns of power again.

To buttress their action as well as to assure the NPP of their total commitment and loyalty, Mr. Tairu said they were shocked to witness that the defectors voluntarily swear by their small gods in the various communities to affirm their seriousness.

The youth Chairman of the NPP continued that, the defectors explained how they have now recognized that the NDC was still using its old propaganda methods.

Mr. Tairu further said that, some of the voters emphasized on how the NDC has reached a stage, where they the defectors, have identified its strategies at wining elections and vowed to thwart any of such activities by the NDC in the area.

He explained that the youth wing in the area has embarked on an intensive educational programme to disabuse the minds of the electorate of campaign messages such as attribution of hardship to the NPP, which he noted was worse during the NDC regime.

He threatened that his party would demolish the NDC in the Nkwanta South, North, Krachi-East and West because the various youth wings would be educated on effective campaign strategies that would lead to the defeat of the NDC in these constituencies.

Mr. Tairu therefore appealed to the national executives to support the youth wing with the needed logistics to enable them to achieve their objectives adding that, currently the youth depended on hiring of motor bikes from the little contributions that they make , a situation he said was affecting their activities.