NPP is Invincible - Obed Asamoah

THE PATRON of the Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), Dr. Yao Obed Asamoah stunned hundreds of disgruntled members from New Patriotic Party (NPP), National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Convention People's Party (CPP), who converged at GNAT Hall in Cape Coast last Saturday when he said that that no party can break the invincibility of the ruling NPP.

Dr. Asamoah, who inaugurated both interim Constituency and Regional Executives of DFP, maintained that the Akan dominated NPP hegemony was very difficult for any political party in Ghana to overcome, stressing that unless such hegemony was broken, the party will continue to hold power in the country.

He said the Danquah-Busia party is dominant in Ashanti, Eastern, Brong Ahafo and Greater Accra Regions and that any political party, which wants to win power in 2008, must do well to penetrate those Regions.

He noted that any serious political party, which cannot work magic in those areas, must forget about clinching power.

For instance, he mentioned Accra as having 39 percent Akan domination, while Ga-Dangme and other ethnic tribes constituted 29 percent He said the Central and Western Regions hold the 2008 elections key to both the NDC and the NPP.

He said in order to prevent what he described as "winner takes all" in Ghanaian politics, his party will work hard to win more supporters in Western and Central Regions to enable them negotiate with any political party in case there should be a run-off in 2008.

"I don't want to become President but I'm doing that for the youth to take up the mantle of governance of the country," he said, dispelling media speculation that the octogenarian was warming his way up to the presidency.

The former analytical National Chairman of NDC, who was visibly seen incessantly interlacing his former party's name during his speech, hinted that the NDC has support in the Northern and Volta Regions, adding that it could only win power if it is able to marshal up its forces in Western and Central corridors of the country.

In view of that, Dr Asamoah said DFP was mapping out strategies to break the Akan hegemony of the NPP in order to win power in 2008, calling on his newfound followers to convince more people in the Central Region to join the party.

He urged them to focus on issues and refrain from insulting political opponents.

"As I speak now, the NDC can never take Central Region", he said, explaining that DFP was poised to annex the Region from NPP domination. He however did not assign reasons why NDC cannot win in the Central Region, but rather assured party members that he would make the facts known to them at the appropriate time.

He said DFP was based on principles and values of democratic governance, noting that NPP and NDC were leading the country into violence and called on Ghanaians, as a matter of urgency, to reject both parties.

Dr Asamoah listened attentively to the speech of defectors from other parties, who stirred the moderate crowd with their mercenary and defection messages, coupled with overwhelming appellations and financial appeals.

Interim DFP Women's Organizer, Ms. Frances Asiam said DFP was a serious party with responsibility of leading the country into economic prosperity.

Alhaji Yusif Party, a leading member of the party, contended that Ghana was heading for doom because the police and the judiciary, which are expected to deepen democracy by ensuring law and order, have been bedeviled with cocaine and bribery scandals.

Nai Kwaw Otu, Chief of Awutu Mankessim, who chaired the function, who said he presided over his first political meeting with Dr Nkrumah's CPP in 1962, told The Chronicle that they were only anticipating about 90 people but he was shocked at the large number of people who filled the hall to capacity.

All the 19 constituencies in the Central Region were represented at the inaugural ceremony.

The NDC Agona East Constituency Organizer, Blue Boy, and a host of NPP and CPP supporters announced their defection to the new third force party.