Anita Desoso blames Mahama campaign groups for NDC’s loss in 2016

Vice Chairperson of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) Anita Desoso has said the various campaign groups that were formed just before the 2016 general election for ex President John Mahama, contributed to the NDC’s defeat in last year’s polls.

According to her, while the party structures couldn’t perform to expectation as they lacked resources, the various campaign groups rather secured funding but failed to work to deliver victory for the party.

Few months to the December 7, 2017 general elections, there was a sudden proliferation of various campaign groups purporting to canvass for votes for ex President John Mahama who was seeking a second term.

Groups such as Zongo for Mahama, Youth for Mahama, Celebrities for Mahama and a host of others were formed with some political watchers arguing that these groups were largely formed to make money by their leaders rather than doing any serious campaign work.

The NDC lost the elections which came to the party as a real shock as it was confident of winnning, due to the massive infrastructure development that was witnessed across the country under ex President Mahama who was then the Flagbearer of the party.

Speaking to Kasapa News, Anita Desoso stated that the time has come for party structures to be respected and given the necessary support adding that never again will such campaign groups be allowed to operate on their own during elections.

“These campaign groups which emerged in the runup to the December 7, 2016 elections contributed to our lose in that election. After these groups were formed, the structures that are known to the party rather suffered as they were denied resources. They couldn’t peform to expectation because they lacked the needed resources. The groups were rather benefitting as they went for funds from certain quarters, and while they were happy, the grassroots were complaining. Some of these groups could go to the Volta Region purporting to do campaigning but went there to speak english instead of the ewe language, how can you do such a campaign?”

She added: “I’ve vowed to make sure that the NDC ammends its constitution, whichever group it is should start from the structures…start from the branch level. You don’t sit down for someone to toil and just before an election you come out to form a group. I campaign against such groups until this ammendment is made in the NDC constitution. We’ve had enough of people wanting to do things their own way without following the party structures.“