[ 2016-12-13 ]

Rawlings to blame for our defeat – NDC Regional Organiser
Former President Rawlings has been blamed for his
party’s thumping defeat in the 2016 general
elections last week.

The Greater Accra Regional Organizer of the
National Democratic Congress (NDC), Anthony
Nukpenu believes the founder’s absence from the
campaign undermined the party’s chances at the
polls.

The governing NDC’s candidate President John
Mahama obtained 44.40% to lose his re-election bid
to his main rival New Patriotic Party (NPP)
candidate Nana Akufo-Addo who obtained 53.85% of
the valid votes cast.

The routing of the NDC was severest in the Central
region where the governing party survived the NPP
onslaught in only 4 constituencies.

From 16 parliamentary seats in 2012, the NDC now
has only 4 seats. The NPP has 19 seats.

The NDC founder, known for his charisma and charm,
was conspicuously missing in the NDC's campaign
which analysts say is evidence of disagreement
between the former President and his party.

The NDC Greater Accra Regional Organiser Anthony
Nukpenu in an interview with Adom News put the
blame at the door-step of former President
Rawlings.

He alleged that, their founder was the key to
unlocking the votes in the Volta region which is
NDC’s stronghold. But he deliberately stayed out
of the campaign to ensure their defeat, he said.

“He [Rawlings] did not just stay out of the
campaign; he did a lot of things which resulted in
voter apathy in the Volta region and other areas
to ensure we lose the elections,” he stressed.

Unprecedented voter apathy in the Volta region saw
a huge drop in voter turnout across the Volta
region’s 26 constituencies.

“He [Rawlings] deliberately worked against the
party in so many ways to undermine the integrity
of the NDC and its flagbearer to make sure we were
defeated at the polls," he stated.

Rawlings has been complaining that his party is
losing its core values of probity and
accountability and warned the party could be in
opposition if it did not re-dedicate itself to
these values.

The NDC Regional Secretary wondered why a father
of a political party would want his children to
suffer before he put things right.

However, Anthony Nukpenu said they have taken the
defeat in good faith and will re-strategize and
come back stronger for the 2020 elections.

Source - Joyfm

... go Back