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01.04.2015 NDC

NPP Wins Nigerian Elections To Form Next Government In Ghana Is An Empty Claim By A.S.K NDC Activist

By David Zamana-Tamale
NPP Wins Nigerian Elections To Form Next Government In Ghana Is An Empty Claim By A.S.K NDC Activist
01.04.2015 LISTEN

An active member of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) Hon Stephen Kwabena Attuh who double as a member of the National Communication Team in the Greater Accra region of the Biakoye Constituency has taken a sweep at what he described as a storm in a tea cup for the NPP as over one million of their party members claiming victory for Nana Addo come 2016.

Aaccording to ASK, the Npp is making claims that, since Buhari is old and has taken over from a young president , same would be applied in Ghana come 2016. I must state clearly to the NPP if they have forgotten that, General Buhari Mahammadu is member of the All Progressive Congress (APC), an indigenous social Democrat party in the federal republic of Nigeria, just as NDC is also a Social Democrat party in Ghana.

Please Read the full script of Hon ASK claim where he believe victory for Buhari is rather a victory to the NDC in Ghana since they are both social democrats.

I have pondered over what title to give this piece but I cannot find one. I have therefore decided to go a 'free verse'. Fortunately I found one before i was done writing.

Here we are, Nigerians goes to the polls and the NPP thought their best ticket was to stand behind the opposition party headed by Alhaji Mahammadu Buhari. Unknown to the NPP, the incumbent government of the people of Nigeria is capitalist-inclined, an ideology that the NPP aspired to and upheld which brought them the slogan "property owning democrats" which indeed resulted in the grabbing of state lands - owning properties indeed.

Unknown to the NPP, the opposition candidate they so obviously supported is a socialist-inclined party member; an ideology the NDC had held since its inception. At least we know now that is highly difficult to practice one extreme at all time. There is definitely an intersection somewhere.

That said, the NPP was so obsessed in their support for Alhaji Buhari for one thing. The age factor was much of importance to the NPP. All of a sudden, the NPP has become apostles for old age simply because they have a candidate who is over 71 years old as we speak. The interest in Buhari was simply to give them an urge into Ghana's election in 2016. They lost track of the fact that, ideologically, the support for Buhari is not in synch with their beliefs.

The New Patriotic Party members cannot love Nigerians more than the people of Nigeria themselves. They cannot just drop their ideology for another which they so criticise at all times. How on earth can these people recommend strongly, a socialist party for the people of Nigeria and recommend something difference for their home country.

Narrowing down, it was difficult for Goodluck Jonathan to distinguish the expenditure especially the expensive iPhones at the wedding of his daughter from his. Whatever is done around a politician automatically becomes politics. That was an own shot that would have taken magic to clear.

The people of Nigeria have a rather interesting political system which is different from that of Ghana. In Nigeria, there is an agreement between the Northners and their Southern counterparts for a rotational presidency. That a Northner rules for a period, steps down for another to rule (contest). That agreement seemed to be broken by the current leadership of the PDP of Nigeria. Such an agreement does not feature in Ghana.

As a matter of fact, Ghanaians vote for whoever they feel would advance their course irrespective of their regional inclination or geographical placement. At least we have seen this played out since independence.

Nigeria became independent in 1960 and subsequently won its Federal Status (Republican status as we would say in the case of Ghana) in 1963. The country had experienced regime interruptions from then. Indeed, Alhaji Mahammadu Buhari was a beneficiary of one such coups. Funny enough, the NPP today, just as Kuffour rushed to celebrate coup anniversary in Togo while demonising Rawlings of same, are jubilation Buhari a former coup maker while continually demonising Jerry John Rawlings a former coup maker in Ghana.

The country was later returned to democratic rule in 1999 and had held elections since. The PDP had won every single election that was held since then. At least for the past 16 years, the PDP had ruled Nigeria with various leaders.

We witnessed a swooping wind of change sometime back in Ghana especially in the year 2000 when the people of Ghana felt the NDC had been in power for 1 years in addition to the preceeding 11 years of the PNDC. That wind of change spread like wild fire which resulted in the NPP winning power in the December 2000 elections.

Indeed, they have ruled for 8 solid years uninterrupted until they were voted out in 2008. The record of the NPP is an open book for all to see. At least, a ride beside the Holiday Inn hotel around the Airport between the Lands Commission route and Airport inner road in front of the Marina Mall would reveal the leftover of our pride; Ghana Airways which has now become an international chop bar. We have seen it all.

Nigeria is rich in resources. At least we know of the oil that abounds in Nigeria. However, issues of electricity cannot be compared to the resources that abound in that country. Water supply is really nothing to write home about. Same cannot be said of Ghana. Electricity supply in this country has risen. Aside the current dumsor we are experiencing which partly resulted from our quest to expand power to all Ghanaians, water supply had risen to the extend that Ghana has been rated the second highest coming behind South Africa in the area of water supply to its citizens.

Nigeria as we speak, has experienced and still experiencing extremists insurgency on some States. This had lasted for more than two years undermining the effectiveness of the government to protect its people. People have lost their children to these militants who capture their wards. That is nothing pleasant. I cannot say same for Ghana as we speak.

Political participation In Ghana cannot be compared to that of Nigeria. If for nothing at all, Ghana had been practicing uninterrupted democracy since 1992. Ghanaians, expecially from the NPP stock can insult the president and walk away free without anyone threatening the person. Indeed, we are free in this country than it is in Nigeria. We have a model that Nigeria is learning from.

This is what comes to shake my mind in an attempt to understand the NPP when they think what happened in Nigeria leading to the eminent election of Buhari automatically lead Nana Addo to the Flagstaff House.

Who are those claiming that President John Dramani Mahama and President Goodluck Jonathan are friends? Can I know why they should be enemies? Are they not both presidents and engaging each other at that level? He will still deal with President Buhari if he is so declared president of Nigeria. That is the level they would play from. After all, they are both socialists. The capitalists played it out between Kuffour and Obasanjo. That is quite clear.

Neither NPP nor NDC is contesting elections in Nigeria. I hope that is clear.

Nana Addo is not the same as Buhari. They do not bear the same name, neither are their destinies the same.

Buhari never declared all die be die in Nigeria. As a former coup leaders, Buhari has calmed himself before the Nigeria people. Akuffo Addo who had never stepped at a military training ground has declared all die be die and had arrogantly carried that posture until the 2012 defeat.

Buhari is about becoming successful in his 4th attempt while Akuffo Addo is heading for his 3rd attempt. How do the two relate?

The demographics of the two countries are different. The social needs of the people of Nigeria cannot be equated to Ghana. The Nigerian gets no lights for over 8 days continuous. Ghana, until recently, has had lights consistently. These days, we experience 24 hour lights out. That cannot be compared to the what pertains in Nigeria. Efforts are being made earnestly to bring back lights to all who must have it.

The behaviour of the opposition in this country I am not sure would attract votes if the opposition in Nigeria had adopted same. No tribe called for another to be killed, none described another's tribe as cattle rearers, none of their members mooted that some states should produce presidents because they hold the resources of Nigeria as was the case with the likes of Kennedy Agyepong, Usular Owusu and Osafo Marfo.

In all of these, have the NPP paused to think of the role of the Electoral Commission of Nigeria (INEC)? Or they thought the elections were conducted in a vacuum?

Buhari had lost 3 elections and accepted them in good faith. INEC was not carried to the slaughter house. They held it and worked together.

The agenda to support Buhari for some age leverage for the 2016 election has fallen flat as ideology has eventually alluded the NPP without cognisance of the departure from the political ideology they ought to protect.

In any case, if the NPP thinks the elections in Nigeria have declared them winners of the 2016, then they should stop campaigning and even start parking into the Flagstaff House.

We in the NDC, as confident as we are of winning the 2016 elections in all fairness, are not lost to the realities. Dumsor would be fixed in due course and Ghanaians would have many other reasons to vote for the NDC. We are equally mindful of the fact that we have 18 more months to continue fulfilling the promises we made to the people of Ghana. 75 of the 200 Community Senior High Schools are near completion. The rest are at various stages and would be evident for all to see.

Water supply had improved in the country both in the rural and urban areas. Adenta as we speak has uninterrupted water supply after 20 years of no water through their taps. Teshie-Nungua and its environs are benefiting from water supply under the NDC. Ashanti Mampong is enjoying water supply under the NDC. Many other communities are indeed linked to water supply than ever before. Kwame Nkrumah Circle is currently witnessing a massive infrastructure development as the Circle is being converted into a sophisticated interchange. Kasoa is expecting another interchange as work is progressing. The Ridge Hospital is receiving a facelift. The Kumasi 37 Military Hospital is under construction. The Bolgatanga Hospital is under construction. Many other District Hospitals are under construction. Polyclinics are not left out. Many have been completed and many more are being constructed. Roads are receiving massive attention. The Asikuma stretch of the Eastern Corridor is receiving massive attention. The Agona Junction - Elubo road is receiving massive construction.

These are the things that would informed the Ghana as we step into the polls in 2016. Corruption would feature. In that light, the NPP has no better record than the NDC. Tell me which government in this world lost elections without accusations of corruption. At least the president has not been accused of receiving kickbacks at the Flagstaff House. These are the thinks that would inform Ghanaians and their choice. Ask the NPP of corruption In this government and the GYEEDA, SUBAH, Woyome songs would begin playing. As we speak, Woyome has entered into agreement to pay back the Ghc51.2 million by December. After that, what next? SUBAH had lead to the exposé of Alexander Tweneboah a confirmed Occupier and a member of the NPP. Indeed they had worked for what they received. What again? Dumsor would be over in a moment and then what again?

The drums the opposition NPP is trying to play in Ghana here sounds too alien and too strange to attract dancing steps.

We do not want to be accused of rigging when we have won. If you think you won elections from Nigeria, form a government in Nigeria then and allow us addressed the issues that bothers on the livelihood of our people!

Written by:
ASK!

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