NPP devastated over loss of three Krobo seats

Koforidua -- The painful defeat that was handed down the New Patriotic Party (NPP), by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Lower Manya Krobo Constituency, is still shocking and devastating to NPP members in the area.

These supporters are still consoling themselves with the hope that the area would see more development projects, as it did in the first four years of the NPP government, which may change residents' voting pattern in favour of the NPP, come 2008.

This became evident when this reporter toured the constituency to review the mood there after the last elections. The NPP supporters had seen little evidence before the elections that the NDC would retain that seat.

Residents had struggled over the NPP parliamentary candidate, Mrs. Dedo Dufie Kusi's T- shirts, coupled with the very heavy turn-outs at her campaign grounds, there was little evidence that the NDC candidate, Mr. Michael Nyaunu (a k.a Political Maradona), would dribble past them again and retain the seat for the third time.

Chronicle sources at Odumase hinted that two days before the elections some NDC followers lied that Mrs. Kusi was not a true Krobo and voting for her would be voting for slavery.

According to sources, another propaganda which was used to defeat the NPP was that Mrs. Kusi never went through the traditional puberty rites popularly called (Dipo), and therefore was not clean enough to lead them.

The worst propaganda was that under the Krobo tradition and culture, it was prohibited for a woman to lead the entire traditional set up, so she should not be voted for lest they broke inviolable tradition and existing culture.

These propaganda spread like a whirlwind fire which the NPP counter propaganda could not control.

Elements from the NPP also made the residents understand that the area had been neglected in terms of development under the NDC government. They therefore urged the electorate to vote for the NPP to receive more projects like Schools, Roads, Clinics and KVIPs.

It was learnt as well that the NPP also claimed Mr. Nyaunu was not a true Krobo, but an Ewe, so should not be voted for.

However, the youth of the constituency as well as some NPP gurus claim there is more to the NPP's defeat than these allegations could be credited with. They pointed accusing fingers at the constituency executives of their party, accusing them of intentionally sabotaging their own candidate, Mrs. Dufie Kusi.

Speaking to The Chronicle, one of the NPP youth leaders, Joseph Afeteye – Narh, said some of the executives read Chieftaincy dispute into the election, that some office-holders were from Odumase and that since Dedo was from Odumase, the votes should go to the one from Dome, hence the voting pattern in favour of Mr. Nyaunu against Dedo.

The youth leader told The Chronicle that after realizing that the NPP candidate had been sabotaged, they struck and attacked the party secretary, popularly called Pubb Dal and seized a mobile phone and car that Mrs. Kusi bought for them to use in the campaign for her, but they failed to do.

Mr. Afeteye-Narh, on behalf of the youth in Odumase, appealed to the President, Mr. J. A Kufuor, to give Mrs. Kusi a ministerial appointment, to give her more exposure and prepare her better for 2008.

Also, he called on the national executive to see to it that the current executives of the NPP in the constituency were disciplined for sabotaging the parliamentary candidate, and if possible, sacked from the party.

The youth thanked the defeated parliamentary candidate for donating a quantity of cement bags, drugs and cash to the Atua Government Hospital and the St. Martins Hospital, all at Agormanya even after losing the elections.