Mallam Isa Weeps For NDC Defeat

MEMBER OF the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mallam Ali Yusif Isa, has pointed accusing fingers at the Party’s top hierarchy for the overwhelming defeat in the December 7 elections.

At a press briefing dubbed, “The Truth Is Bitter,” an embittered Mallam Isa stated that the abysmal performance of the outgoing NDC in the 2016 general election could be attributed to the neglect of the grassroots by the party’s “big men.”

According to him, in an election which saw Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo-led New Patriotic Party (NPP) gaining a significant 400,000 votes over what it obtained in the 2012 election, his party – the National Democratic Congress (NDC) – lost over 1.2 million votes mainly through what he termed ‘voter apathy.’

He revealed that he was tasked to head a presidential team which combed all the cocoa growing areas in the Ashanti, Western and Brong Ahafo Regions, to get first-hand information on the plight of farmers of Northern descent settling in the aforementioned regions as well as canvas for their support in the run-up to the 2016 general election.

“Upon leading the team and touring the aforementioned regions, community-to-community, village-to-village, hamlet-to hamlet for close to two months, the revelation that greeted our ears as tear-shedding,” Mallam Isa added.

He said at places like Nsuta-Beposo Kwamang Constituency in the Ashanti Region, communities like Nkodjuah Afram Plains, Denkyera-Krom, Boami, Asasibon, Frafra Line, Dagarti Line and Konkomba Line, the electorate disclosed to the dismay of his team that they had not set eyes on any party official or government official since the 2012 general election.

Disrespect To Grassroots

According Mallam Isa, the gross disrespect by some party executives, Members of Parliament (MPs) and other government appointees towards the plight of the grassroots led to the party’s electoral defeat.

He also stated that at places like Odaa-Kotuaso in the Western Region for instance, cocoa farmers who are mainly Northerners and believed to be supporters of the NDC, were put into groups of 15 and given just a bottle of Confidor to share, with each farmer having between 10 to 35 hectares of farm lands.

Mallam Isa called on the party’s executives to take into consideration the issues raised and re-strategize in order to reclaim power in 2020.

BY Ernest Pappoe

 

 

 

 

 

Tags: