NDC 2016 manifesto featured in 2020's – Nana Oye

Secretary of National Democratic Congress (NDC) manifesto committee, Nana Oye Bampoe-Addo has admitted that excerpts of the 2016 manifesto of her party were featured in the recently launched 2020 manifesto.

Though not verbatim, she insisted that the manifesto committee reviewed the previous policy document to enrich the content of the new one. This, in her words formed part of their bid to capture the pertinent needs of the ordinary Ghanaian.

The opposition party in an attempt to contend the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) for the reins of government launched its policy document on Monday, September 7, 2020. As expected, the ruling party has given their verdict and arguments meant to trash the NDC’s manifesto.

Key of such arguments include claims that it is only a rehash of the party’s 2016 manifesto.

Responding to the claims in an interaction on Face-to-Face, Ms Bampoe-Addo said the party indeed included bits and pieces of the previous manifesto.

However, what did not make it into the manifesto was the Kwesi Botchwey report which was ideally meant to resolve some intra-party disturbances after the 2016 election defeat.

“…The Kwesi Botchwey report did not find space in it, that dealt with party elections and how elections should be conducted, observations on what occurred in 2016…,” she said.

Aside this, Ms Bampoe-Addo indicated that not only the 2016 manifesto featured in the new one; as a matter of fact, older manifestoes of the party were reviewed, analysed and included.

“…We had to review the manifesto, 2016 manifesto, find out exactly what we had said there as against what we intend to say; and not only the 2016, we also looked at our previous manifestoes also…,” she explained in an interaction with Umaru Sanda on Face-to-Face.

She however rejected suggestions that they had included “a defeated manifesto” in a new one.

Ms Bampoe-Addo summarized her rebuttal as follows, “It wasn’t the manifesto that was defeated, the people of Ghana decided that they’ll try the NPP and I’m sure by now they have deeply regretted welcomed the NDC’s 2020 manifesto together with…the John and Jane ticket…”