Cracks emerge in NDC

Less than two months after sheepishly handing over power to the Akufo-Addo led New Patriotic Party, the opposition National Democratic Congress is facing its worse internal insurrections with the potential of disintegrating the party unless; immediate measures are taken to assuage pent-up feeling among various feuding factions.

Though the NDC has suffered similar internal wrangling in the past, party insiders say the main opposition party may not be lucky to survive the on-going bickering in the party if “what people are planning against each other is allowed to fester.”

“This time round, we (NDC) may not be that fortunate to come out stronger from our internal issues like we did in the past. Now the party is divided at almost all levels. There is division at the grassroots; our MPs in parliament are fighting each other; national, regional and constituency executives are at each other’s throat over our defeat and alleged “hoarding” of campaign funds,” a senior member of the NDC who does not want his name mentioned told this paper.

He added that, “the difficulty we are facing now is that there is nobody in the party to address what is happening. All those who could doused the tension in the party are themselves directly or indirectly linked to the blame games and internal strife.”

Reports are that members of the NDC have been fighting each other over the party’s defeat in last year’s election. “Since we lost power, none of our meetings have ended well... we either end-up trading insults or blaming one another for our defeat. There are some people in the party who do not want to see each other…so we are unable to meet to discuss how to reorganize the party,” another heavyweight of the party told The aL-hAJJ.

The infighting amongst top brass of the party has cascaded to party grassroots and social media commentators who have in recent times turned attention to fighting proxy ‘wars’ in defense of their ‘bosses’.

Not a day passes without known NDC activists trading insults and/or accusing some kingpins in the main stream or through social media over alleged wrongful acts whilst in government which resulted in the party’s excruciating defeat at the polls.

A recent request by the Functional Executive of the NDC at a meeting to seek financial assistance from former appointees of the Mahama administration for the running of the party ended up in confusion.

Sources at the meeting say the former appointees led by former Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Dr Shirley Aryittey vowed not to contribute a “penny” towards the management of the party unless the National Executives account for campaign funds donated to the party.

This is said to have added to the already volatile situation in the party making it impossible for leading members of the party to meet and plan how to reorganize the party “not to talk of strategizing on how to tackle the Akufo Addo led-government,” a source revealed.

A section of the party’s kingpins and supporters are already up in arms with the NDC founder, Mr Jerry John Rawlings over claims he aided President Akufo-Addo and the NPP to defeat President Mahama and the NDC.

Hirelings of Mr Rawlings are also firing back at his accusers, warning them to shelve their attacks on the NDC founder and focused on investigating how they “gifted” power to their main rivals or risk incurring their wrath.

Other NDC activists are also talking ill of immediate-past President Mahama and some of his appointees for complacency and neglect of the grassroots which lead to the party’s embarrassing defeat in the 2016 elections.

Jostling for party positions at the various levels including the next flag bearer position is also said to be creating tension in the party. Whilst majority of the party members are rooting for Mr Mahama’s comeback, others are kicking against his comeback and have started ‘marketing’ their preferred candidates.

More worrying is the ongoing elbowing among incumbent National Executives and some NDC kingpins who are warming up to supplant the current executives. A group in the party with the backing of some kingpins is reported to have adopted a plot codenamed “operation wipe out all incumbent executives” which is said to be causing consternation wthin the party. Some of the incumbent executives bent on retaining their positions are also said to have vowed to defend their positions.

Stay tuned.