Minority Parties gang against ruling NDC?

Four Minority Parties, the Nkrumaist Convention Peoples Party and Peoples National Convention, as well as the National Reform Party and the United Ghana Movement have joined the New Patriotic Party bandwagon for presidential second round elections although the ruling National Democratic Congress says the alliance would not derail its chances to win the election.

The Flagbearer of the Peoples National Congress, Dr. Edward Mahama, this morning declared his support for the Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Mr J.A. Kuffour in the impeding second round presidential elections.

In an interview with JOY FM’s Super Morning Show Host, Komla Dumor, Dr Mahama said that he threw in his support for Mr Kuffour rather than with Professor Mills, who is the presidential candidate of the ruling National Democratic Congress, because it has become apparent that Ghanaians desperately need a change in government.

He added that Professor Mills belongs to the PNDC and NDC government, which has ruled Ghana for close to 20 years. He also added that it also needs no one to know that should Professor Mills come into power, he will not be his own man but would be a puppet in the hands of the NDC Party.

He said Kuffour represents the change that everyone desperately needs and that he will continue to campaign for Kuffour not on the NPP platform but on PNC platforms in the bid to urge PNC supporters to vote for Mr. Kuffour in the pending second round elections.

He said he has made contact with PNC supporters from all ten regions in Ghana except the Brong Ahafo region and that they have all indicated their desire to go for Kuffour presidency instead for the second round of voting.

When asked about the incompatibility of the Nkrumaist tradition, to which he belongs, and the Busia-Danquah tradition, to which Mr Kuffour belongs, Dr. Mahama, said that this should not be a problem since a new page has been opened in the political history book of Ghana.

He added that he was not going to campaign on the NPP platform but on a PNC platform to urge all Nkrumaists to make the best choice possible for the Nation and that is voting for Mr. Kuffour instead of Professor Mills.

He added that for him his expectation for the election is “Change, Change, Change.”

Was he happy about the conduct of the elections? “Yes and No,” he answered. He said he was happy with the outcome of the elections but sad that he lost since he thought he had the best message. He however added that the minority parties’ strategy had paid off in that they managed to secure a second round election.

Dr Mahama unfortunately lost in his own home constituency and he attributed the defeat to the fact that supporters of the NDC run an injurious campaign against him using his ethnicity as a Mamprusi against other tribes in the constituency.

The Leader of the Main Nkrumaist Party, Professor George Hagan of the Convention Peoples Party in a separate interview with JOY FM also threw his party’s support for the NPP bandwagon.

He added that the Minority had achieved the first step in its strategy to get the ruling National Democratic Party out of government by ensuring a second round of elections.

He added that it was now up to the Minority to effect the next step, which is to permanently neutralise the NDC by voting for Mr Kuffour in the second round. “We have killed the snake but we have not yet cut off its head,” he stressed.

When asked whether the CPP was not compromising on its tradition by aligning with its political foe, the NPP, Professor Hagan said, “the world is changing and now, there are no permanent foes or friends but permanent interests as what we are currently confronted with. Our common interest is to save Ghana now.”

He added, “the people have indicated that change is needed. So we will join the NPP to ensure that change is effected now. There are two main political traditions that have established Ghanaian Politics and these are the Nkrumaists, to which I belong, and the Busia-Danquah tradition to, which Mr. Kuffour and the NPP belong, and these should be recognised and not the NDC, which I regard as an upstart association and not as a party.”

Augustus Goosie Tanoh of the National Reform Party, which broke away from the NDC and Dr. Charles Wereko Brobbey’s United Ghana Movement, have also indicated that they will support a Kuffour candidature in the event of a second round of elections. It is now left with Dan Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) to publicly stake his lot with either the Minority Parties or the ruling NDC.

However, the National Democratic Congress says the Minority Parties would not achieve much by completely grouping against the NDC.

In an interview conducted with the BBC, a spokesman of the party and Defence Minister, Dr. Tony Aidoo, said the minority parties have no mobilising ideology as well as programmes. He added that there have only managed to draw about six percent of the total vote in the presidential election. He described their support for the NPP as insignificant.

The Minister of Education, Mr. Ekwow Spio-Gabrah, who called into the JOY FM Super Morning Show programme said the NDC team is going to the drawing board to chart out a strategy on how the NDC will go about ensuring a victory for the second round.

When pressed to say how the strategy will be affected, he added that while it is too early to come out publicly with a plan, the Party would ensure that it wraps up all loose ends. He added that, ”the party would make assessments in that the right people will be made the right roles and that a goalkeeper should not be made to play the role of a centre forward.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Kuffour has predicted a massive win for the NPP in the second round of elections. He added that they have broken the myth of invincibility surrounding the National Democratic Congress and shown that the NDC can be beaten in an electionMinority Parties gang against ruling NDC Four Minority Parties, the Nkrumaist Convention Peoples Party and Peoples National Convention, as well as the National Reform Party and the United Ghana Movement have joined the New Patriotic Party bandwagon for presidential second round elections although the ruling National Democratic Congress says the alliance would not derail its chances to win the election.

The Flagbearer of the Peoples National Congress, Dr. Edward Mahama, this morning declared his support for the Presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Mr J.A. Kuffour in the impeding second round presidential elections.

In an interview with JOY FM’s Super Morning Show Host, Komla Dumor, Dr Mahama said that he threw in his support for Mr Kuffour rather than with Professor Mills, who is the presidential candidate of the ruling National Democratic Congress, because it has become apparent that Ghanaians desperately need a change in government.

He added that Professor Mills belongs to the PNDC and NDC government, which has ruled Ghana for close to 20 years. He also added that it also needs no one to know that should Professor Mills come into power, he will not be his own man but would be a puppet in the hands of the NDC Party.

He said Kuffour represents the change that everyone desperately needs and that he will continue to campaign for Kuffour not on the NPP platform but on PNC platforms in the bid to urge PNC supporters to vote for Mr. Kuffour in the pending second round elections.

He said he has made contact with PNC supporters from all ten regions in Ghana except the Brong Ahafo region and that they have all indicated their desire to go for Kuffour presidency instead for the second round of voting.

When asked about the incompatibility of the Nkrumaist tradition, to which he belongs, and the Busia-Danquah tradition, to which Mr Kuffour belongs, Dr. Mahama, said that this should not be a problem since a new page has been opened in the political history book of Ghana.

He added that he was not going to campaign on the NPP platform but on a PNC platform to urge all Nkrumaists to make the best choice possible for the Nation and that is voting for Mr. Kuffour instead of Professor Mills.

He added that for him his expectation for the election is “Change, Change, Change.”

Was he happy about the conduct of the elections? “Yes and No,” he answered. He said he was happy with the outcome of the elections but sad that he lost since he thought he had the best message. He however added that the minority parties’ strategy had paid off in that they managed to secure a second round election.

Dr Mahama unfortunately lost in his own home constituency and he attributed the defeat to the fact that supporters of the NDC run an injurious campaign against him using his ethnicity as a Mamprusi against other tribes in the constituency.

The Leader of the Main Nkrumaist Party, Professor George Hagan of the Convention Peoples Party in a separate interview with JOY FM also threw his party’s support for the NPP bandwagon.

He added that the Minority had achieved the first step in its strategy to get the ruling National Democratic Party out of government by ensuring a second round of elections.

He added that it was now up to the Minority to effect the next step, which is to permanently neutralise the NDC by voting for Mr Kuffour in the second round. “We have killed the snake but we have not yet cut off its head,” he stressed.

When asked whether the CPP was not compromising on its tradition by aligning with its political foe, the NPP, Professor Hagan said, “the world is changing and now, there are no permanent foes or friends but permanent interests as what we are currently confronted with. Our common interest is to save Ghana now.”

He added, “the people have indicated that change is needed. So we will join the NPP to ensure that change is effected now. There are two main political traditions that have established Ghanaian Politics and these are the Nkrumaists, to which I belong, and the Busia-Danquah tradition to, which Mr. Kuffour and the NPP belong, and these should be recognised and not the NDC, which I regard as an upstart association and not as a party.”

Augustus Goosie Tanoh of the National Reform Party, which broke away from the NDC and Dr. Charles Wereko Brobbey’s United Ghana Movement, have also indicated that they will support a Kuffour candidature in the event of a second round of elections. It is now left with Dan Lartey of the Great Consolidated Popular Party (GCPP) to publicly stake his lot with either the Minority Parties or the ruling NDC.

However, the National Democratic Congress says the Minority Parties would not achieve much by completely grouping against the NDC.

In an interview conducted with the BBC, a spokesman of the party and Defence Minister, Dr. Tony Aidoo, said the minority parties have no mobilising ideology as well as programmes. He added that there have only managed to draw about six percent of the total vote in the presidential election. He described their support for the NPP as insignificant.

The Minister of Education, Mr. Ekwow Spio-Gabrah, who called into the JOY FM Super Morning Show programme said the NDC team is going to the drawing board to chart out a strategy on how the NDC will go about ensuring a victory for the second round.

When pressed to say how the strategy will be affected, he added that while it is too early to come out publicly with a plan, the Party would ensure that it wraps up all loose ends. He added that, ”the party would make assessments in that the right people will be made the right roles and that a goalkeeper should not be made to play the role of a centre forward.”

Meanwhile, Mr. Kuffour has predicted a massive win for the NPP in the second round of elections. He added that they have broken the myth of invincibility surrounding the National Democratic Congress and shown that the NDC can be beaten in an election