A group calling itself Save the NPP Now has blamed the party’s leadership for causing their defeat in the just-ended Talensi by-election.
“The July 7th Talensi by-election has left a very sour taste in the mouths of NPP supporters and loyalists because we lost the seat to the incompetent ruling NDC”, the group said in a press statement.
“After such a poor showing in Talensi, it is important to do a comprehensive post mortem analysis of the elections and take corrective measures in order not to suffer the same humiliating fate at the 2016 general elections”.
Below is the full press statement which catalogs the reasons the group believes are behind the elections loss.
SAVE NPP NOW!
PRESS RELEASE: 8TH JULY, 2015
NPP LOST TALENSI BECAUSE OF OSAFO MARFO’S ETHNOCENTRIC COMMENTS AND NANA AKUFO-ADDO’S HATRED FOR NORTHERNERS!
The July 7th Talensi by-election has left a very sour taste in the mouths of NPP supporters and loyalists because we lost the seat to the incompetent ruling NDC.
After such a poor showing in Talensi, it is important to do a comprehensive post mortem analysis of the elections and take corrective measures in order not to suffer the same humiliating fate at the 2016 general elections.
A critical analysis of what went wrong in Talensi would reveal the factors that contributed to our loss as follows:
1. OSAFO MARFO’S ETHNOCENTRIC COMMENTS: Obviously, the reprehensible and condemnable ethnocentric comments made by Mr. Osafo Marfo that only people who come from “resource rich” regions should rule Ghana made the NPP unattractive in Talensi. The NDC managed to sing the song of ethnocentrism of NPP which sank well with the electorates.
2. FAILED CAMPAIGN MESSAGE: Our supposed “dumsor” and the cedi depreciation mesdage did not work. Talensi is a semi-rural constituency and we should have deployed a different campaign message; a message of hope and a prosperous life which will resonate with the electorates. Obviously, the NPP sold a good medicine to the wrong patient.
3. TALENSI AS A TEST CASE FOR 2016: We went into this by-election by declaring that it will be a test case for the 2016 elections. That was a wrong political strategy. We should have managed the situation to reflect a situation where if the NDC won, it won’t be a big deal but if the NPP won, then it will be huge news. We threw all our arsenals into this election, yet were beaten by the NDC.
4. THE ABSENCE OF PAUL AFOKO AND KWABENYA AGYAPONG: Our National Chairman and General Secretary were conspicuously missing during the Talensi campaign – a clear signal that Nana Akufo-Addo still endorses the division and chaos which resulted in the two gentlemen being banned from performing their constitutional duties. It is amazing that some selfish interests in the party think we can win the 2016 elections without Afoko and Agyapong. At least, Gabby Asare Otchere Darko, a close confidant of NanavAkufo-Addo thinks along this line as expressed on his Facebook wall. This erroneous mindset has been defeated with the outcome of the Talensi results. The people of Talensi have clearly demonstrated that they are opposed to the way Afoko and Agyapong are being treated.
Nana Akufo-Addo must realize that what happened in Talensi is very likely to repeat itself throughout the three northern regions in 2016 and the results will be disastrous – we will lose more seats. The divide and rule tactics being employed by the flagbearer is a recipe for disaster. The most unfortunate aspect is his unwillingness to change his style of leadership which has consistently affected the party’s electoral fortunes negatively.
We in “SAVE NPP NOW” believe that the flagbearer and his appendages are gradually sinking the party at a fast rate and the earlier the party is saved, the better it will be for our electoral chances. Ghana deserves better!
Baah Acheamfour
Director of Communications
