IDDI MUHAYU-DEEN'S FOLDER
It is an explicit fact that the issue of internal wrangling or misunderstanding in the various political parties has in recent times, gained notorious prominence in the country and has become very topical even at the expense of the proverbial ‘bread and butter issues’. Our media, especially the rented press have regrettably, chosen to give significant attention to these intra party issues with an inexplicable sensation whilst overlooking the germane issues of governance and the debilitating economic conditions of the ordinary Ghanaian.
This
worrying subculture is becoming even more amplified as we buildup to a crucial general
election in 2016 as the various political parties make desperate effort to
outdo each other in respect of which party is more stable and united. The idea
is essentially to use this as a campaign strategy to woo the Ghanaian voter
into supporting a particular political party over another. But I ask myself whether
this strategy really works.
Is
the Ghanaian voter more concerned about internal party misunderstandings than his
living conditions? What at all does the Ghanaian voter look for in casting his
ballot for party A or party B? Well, as a student of politics and an ardent
follower of Ghana’s elections, I have painstakingly delved into this matter and
wish to let you into my conclusions and the relevant supporting facts.
In
all of these, it is instructive to make the point that internal wangling is NOT
the preserve of any political party in the country because all the political parties
especially the major ones, NPP and NDC have had their share of these
implosions. Yet, that could not and did not prevent them from winning the
various elections held in the country in this fourth republican dispensation.
So,
in the final analysis, it can only be concluded that the Ghanaian voter is not
really bothered about these infightings in the political parties but rather the
‘bread and butter issues’ as amply evidenced in their voting patterns over the
period. This incontestable position is further expatiated in the following classical
examples and cases of historical antecedences in respect of the NPP and NDC:
THE HISTORY OF NPP AND INTERNAL
ISSUES
History
has it that, the NPP tradition has experienced severe infighting in its recent past
which is worse than what we are seeing today. Notwithstanding these internal issues,
the party proceeded to win two general elections and formed government in the
year, 2000 and in 2004. The historical occurrences of these issues have been
enumerated below:
To
start with, in the 1992 general elections, the NPP won only one (1) out of the ten
(10) regions which was the Ashanti region. Same happened in the 1996 general
elections where the party also won only the Ashanti region and lost the other 9
regions. In these two elections, the party had no internal issues or crisis,
yet could only manage to win just one region out of the possible ten.
Fast
forward to 1998 and the buildup to the 2000 general elections, the party
experienced serious internal crisis unfortunately in the only region it was winning
(Ashanti) culminating in the infamous resignation of the then Ashanti Regional
Chairman of the NPP, Hon. Donkor Fordjor, in the run-up to the party’s Sunyani
Congress on 24th October, 1998.
He
had actually threatened to resign if John Kuffour won the primaries and he
indeed carried through with his threat when that happened. At the time, Mr. FF
Antoh, a relatively unknown politician in the region was brought onboard to
temporary take charge of the region ahead of its ‘delayed regional congress’.
Again,
in 1999, another political icon and a founding member of the NPP, Dr. Wereko
Brobe disserted the NPP. In his case, he did not only leave the party, but
actually proceeded to form his own party, the United Ghana Movement (UGM) to
compete with the NPP and other parties in the 2000 general elections.
As
if that was not enough, the party was again shocked by another major
resignations involving two of its founding members in the persons of Mr. Kwame
Mpiani, a celebrated economist who resigned from the party on February 8, 2000
and one, Inusah Issaka (John Kufour’s campaign manager in 1996), who in fact,
did not only resign from the NPP in June 2000, but actually defected to the NDC
together with Lawyer Kaba, a former MP for the Bolgatanga Constituency under
the Progress Party regime and later, the party’s parliamentary candidate for
the same constituency in the 1996.
To
aggravate matters, the National Second Vice Chairman of the party, Dr. Wayo
Seini also resigned from the party ahead of the 2000 general elections over
some internal party disagreements and reservations he had regarding the choice
of Late Aliu Mahama as the party’s Vice Presidential candidate in the run-up to
the polls in the year 2000.
In
view of all these disturbing happenings within the NPP fold, especially the several
resignations by some founding members of the party in the run-up to a crucial
general election in 2000, almost everyone thought that the NPP was going to
lose the elections to the NDC by a very wide margin. One didn’t need a rocket
scientist to make that extrapolation because unlike the NPP, the NDC, then in
government and with all the incumbency advantage, was also very stable and
focused on retaining power.
However,
the good people of Ghana overlooked the infightings in the NPP and rather
considered their living conditions and the economic challenges bedeviling the
country at the time before casting their ballot. Accordingly, they voted
massively for the NPP because they wanted a REGIME CHANGE which they got and in
fact, the records of the erstwhile NPP government vindicated their decision as
same still remains unmatched in the country’s history from all perspectives.
So,
if the NPP was able to win the general elections in the year 2000 despite all
their internal crisis which had gone beyond imaginable limits, then surely, the
recent challenges the party went through, which are relatively far lesser than its
precarious situation in 2000, CANNOT prevent the NPP from winning the 2016
general elections.
Again,
it is worthy of note that, the economic conditions in Ghana in the year 2000 is
also far better than it is today. In other words, Ghanaians are worse off now
than they were in 2000 when they voted for CHANGE. So it is obvious from the
foregoing and as we all see today, that, the clamour for CHANGE in 2016 is even
louder than it has ever been in our history.
As
we speak, almost every sector of the Ghanaian economy is either collapsing or has
completely collapsed under this INCOMPETENT Mahama administration. From the
Education sector to the Health sector, to Agriculture, to Energy, to Social
Welfare system and what have you.
As
for corruption under this NDC government, the least said about it, the better.
The government has become almost synonymous to corruption. We are continually overwhelmed
by corruption scandals almost on weekly basis. From SADA to GYEEDA to SUBA to Waterville
to Woyome to STX Korea deal to NSS to Zoomlion to Brazil World Cup Scandal to Fortiz
to Ameri to Bus Branding to MahamaFord and several others.
In
fact, it is no more newsworthy to hear of CORRUPTION in the John Mahama
government. The Supreme Court of Ghana has made it simple for us when it
describes the John Mahama government as one of create-loot-and-share. A government
that deliberately creates a scheme, through which, it loots and shares our money
and other scares resources. What more evidence do you need my brothers and
sisters?
END
OF PART ONE… Part 2, which shall focus on the NDC internal issues, promises to
be more revealing. Stay tuned.
In
all of these, you would agree with me that CHANGE in 2016 is the surest way of bringing
back dignity to our governance regime and restoring our lost HOPE. Our country
must work again.
Assalamu
alaikum
This
piece was compiled by a concerned Ghanaian in the business of OCCUPYING HEARTS
and MINDS for the love of God and country.
IDDI
MUHAYU-DEEN
A Crusader
for CHANGE
(0245335197)
Kindly
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