THE New Patriotic Party (NPP) has invited people who are being frustrated in their bid to register and become card bearing members of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).
The invitation comes barely a few days after it emerged that some Asantes, who were desirous of becoming NDC card bearing members, were being discriminated against, especially in the Ashanti Region.
According to the NPP, they are a national political party who frown upon tribalism and accommodate all manner of people into their fold irrespective of their tribal, religious and social backgrounds, so the NDC rejects should join them.
“Thankfully, our brothers and sisters who suffer this fate in the NDC have a good opportunity to come back to the NPP where they are seen to originate from,” Dennis Kwakwa, the Ashanti Regional NPP Communications Officer said.
Speaking at a mammoth press conference in Kumasi on Tuesday, he said, “The NPP as a party does not discriminate against anyone based on their tribal, ethnic, or religious affiliation,” so it is the suitable political party to join.
Kwakwa, who sounded a bit peeved over the alleged discrimination against the Asantes by the NDC, said the entire country should rally behind the NPP to condemn the NDC for continually indulging in tribal politics, which is not good for the country.
According to him, some known dyed-in-the-wool members of the NDC are equally not happy about the condemnable actions of the NDC, as they have come out boldly to condemn the weird actions of their beloved party recently.
“As you would recall over the past few days, some leading figures within the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) have had cause to complain about the tribally discriminative attitude towards supporters perceived to be of Asante descent in the region.
“A popular journalist with an Accra-based radio station, Mr. Kwabena Bobie Ansah, on his Facebook wall, alleged that the NDC are discriminating against Asante descents in their ongoing membership registration exercise in several parts of the Ashanti Region.
“According to Mr. Bobie Ansah, persons bearing Asante names are being denied the opportunity to register their membership whilst others are subjected to serious frustrations in their attempts to register for the party membership card.”
According to him, one Asafo Agyei, a contestant for the Ashanti Regional NDC Communications Officer position, was also suffering from the NDC’s discriminatory tactics because he hails from the Ashanti Region.
“Similarly, another popular figure and close confidant of ex-President Mahama, Mr. Frank Kwaku Appiah, popularly known as ‘Appiah Stadium’, on Asempa Radio few weeks ago, also had cause to complain that one of the aspirants for the Ashanti Regional Communications Officer position, Mr. Asafo Agyei, is being discriminated because he is an Asante,” he added.
Kwakwa stated that he was least surprised about the NDC’s open discrimination against Asantes, noting that tribal politics, which has the potential of disturbing the peace of the country, has over the years been the stock-in-trade of the NDC.
“We are not surprised at all at these developments because the NDC, as we all know in their so many years of existence, have always adopted tribalism as a major tool in their political bidding,” he said, reiterating his call for the rejected NDC members to join the NPP to retain power in 2024.
FROM I.F. Joe Awuah Jnr., Kumasi