NPP is not anti Northern - NPP MP

The Member of Parliament (MP) for Offinso South constituency Ben Abdallah Banda, has stated that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is not an anti Northern party as speculated by supporters of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He lashed out at the NDC for creating a very erroneous and mistaken impression that members of the opposition NPP rather hate residents within the three northern regions.

The President during his campaign tour in the North begged Northerners to vote for him because he is one of them.

‘There is no historical facts to support this argument,’ he stated.

But speaking on Ultimate Breakfast Show hosted by Lantam Papanko, Banda said the President’s comment pre-supposes that he is incompetent hence the plea to his tribesmen to retain him.

He claimed the NDC always deceived Northerners to vote for NDC because they are their own but neglect them whenever they win power.

Banda wondered why the NDC claim they are a Northern party, yet majority of Zongo communities are neglected when it comes to infrastructural development.

He described the president as incompetent for asking people to vote for him because he is one of their own.

‘It is really a very bad comment, the proclivity of inciting tribal violence, when such a comment is made by no mean person than our President Mahama that really has the potential of creating violence or chaotic situation. To make such comment smacks of inferiority complex. If you are saying people should not vote based on your performance, own their good conscience because you come from a certain tribe, I don’t think that is good enough. It pre-supposes that you are incompetent.

NDC claim they are for Northerners but when elections are over, they neglect zone communities, non Zongo communities are even well developed than Zongo communities,’ he said.

He said the NPP is not an Akan party as speculated by supporters of NDC, saying the NPP cut across all tribal people saying the President’s comment is an insult to non Northerners in his party.

‘NPP is not a bona-fide property of one person, we believe in democracy. We have lots of Ashantis, Ewes, Northerners and other tribes in NPP just like NDC,’ he stated.