NDC Warned About Obed

Speculations which have snowballed into authentic news stories and given credence by the protagonists such as Dr. Obed Asamoah and Bede Ziedeng regarding the possible return of the decimated and financially struggling members of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) to rejoin the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have been received with strong resistance by faithfuls of the ruling party.

The Daily Post Vox Pop carried out in the Volta Region and among sections of the NDC supporters at the grassroots in other regions revealed serious revulsion at the attempt by Dr Asamoah and his skeleton staff to use political trickery to return to the fold. The common tread which runs through their submissions was that Dr. Asamoah is a traitor and an opportunist who jumped at the carrots dangled before him by the NPP and deserted the NDC. They accused him of not only benefiting financially from the NPP but also logistically through 4x4 Pick-Ups allegedly bought for his party for the 2008 campaign by Nana Akufo Addo, the NPP flag bearer.

According to the interviewees, Obed Asamoah hates President Mills with passion to the extent that he even claimed after the latter’s victory in the 2008 elections that he is bound to fail. One of the interviewees asked rhetorically, “if Mills is bound to fail, is Obed worming his way back in order to aid in the failure he predicted?” Exuding so much anger, the NDC operatives warned those promoting the unification talks to back off since Obed’s DFP is moribund and only exists on paper.

In the Likpe area where Obed Asamoah hails from, a branch executive stated that Dr. Asamoah is seriously broke and that the only way to regain the financial and moral high ground is to create the impression that he is still a force to reckon with. Commenting further, he told our team that Dr. Asamoah is an opportunist and should not be entertained because he has sinister motives that could derail the ‘Better Ghana’ agenda being pursued by the Mills-led Administration.

In Hohoe, five people who were interviewed concerning the purported return of Obed Asamoah and his gang were emphatic that they should not be dignified. One of the interviewees claimed Dr. Asamoah is known to be suffering pecuniary problems and that instead of being truthful and honest about it and ask for forgiveness, he is behaving like an old discredited politician by trying to use the non-existent DFP to gain some political leverage.

Another interviewee said he was surprised about the noise coming from the DFP in respect of the claim that talks are on-going between the NDC and the DFP. He stated that the NDC needs not negotiate nor sign any memorandum of understanding with a moribund group which only exists on paper adding that the genuine members who were deceived by Dr. Asamoah to follow him had long returned to the NDC.

“What is left is Bede Ziedeng, and a few skeleton staff who are financially handicapped and looking for a vibrant political organization such as the NDC to relaunch an almost extinct career.

In the Greater Accra Region, some party members in the McCarthy Hill area told the Daily Post that they are aware of the pecuniary difficulties facing Dr. Asamoah and were therefore not surprised about his inferior tactics to rejoin the NDC. An interviewee called Steve told our team that he read the Obed Asamoah interview in the newspapers and was stunned at the level of his hypocrisy and opportunism. In his view, Obed’s claim to the fact that the NDC is now ensuring internal democracy and maturing should be enough grounds to reject him.

“Who led a detachment of Commandoes to beat up the Alhaji Braimahs, Captain Okines and others of the Eagle Club in the early 90s and physically force them out of office? Is it not Obed Asamoah? Was that action democratic? Strangely, it is the same political opportunist with over-bloated ego who is shamelessly talking of internal democracy in his wild dreams that he is the only mortal who understands political matrix”, he emphasized.

Expatiating further on Obed’s claim, Steve argued that it was the same Obed who claimed the NDC was undemocratic simply because he failed to retain his chairmanship slot in the party.

“If dictators and undemocratic forces who were left in the party when he abandoned ship in opposition could fight and win an election, why is he now head-over-heels to rejoin the group of ‘hoodlums’?”, he asked.

Steve said he is aware of numerous visits by Dr. Asamoah to the residence of Mr. Dan Markin, former Chairman of the Democratic People’s Party (DPP) and now Chairman of Ghana Railways to seek favours and find ways to rejoin the NDC. From his knowledge of the moves and manouevrings of the Likpe politician, the NDC should not allow itself to be hoodwinked by the puerile tactics of an old and discredited political fox.

More responses from the other regions filed by our correspondents affirmed the position of those in the Volta, Greater Accra and Eastern regions. They were unanimous that the NDC should not be fooled into signing any memorandum of understanding with the DFP. They also stated that most of those who were deceived by Obed Asamoah to follow him had returned to the fold long ago before the 2008 elections and have been working with the branches, wards and constituencies citing the likes of Steve Akorli and Prince Derrick-Adjei as classic examples.

According to the NDC faithfuls, time has come to put an end to the disgusting behavior of breakaway groups who use their positions to hold the party to ransom and then return when times are good.