Bawumia Invades NDC Strongholds In Volta, Oti

By Gifty Arthur

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, appears to be making inroads in the strongholds of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC).

The NDC flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, is on record to have expressed concern about this development during his first campaign tour of the Volta Region in August.

But Dr Bawumia, who spent better part of his campaign in Volta and Oti regions last week, is continually attracting very impressive and rousing welcomes in the two regions.

Chiefs and residents during the tour, have all praised the Vice President for his decent campaign and his party’s development brought to the doorsteps of the people.

In constituencies in the Volta region, such as Ketu North, Ketu South, Akatsi Nouth, Central Tongu and Anloga constituencies, where he toured last Wednesday, witnessed a massive crowd.

At a rally in these areas, Dr Bawumia, sold his vision in the NPP’s manifesto, where he indicated a major focus of his government would be agriculture, justified by data, which indicates that about 60 percent of Ghanaians are engaged in that business.

In the Krachi East in the Oti Region for instance, the traditional rulers and residents, lauded Dr Bawumia for running a campaign they believed is “grounded with evidence” and focused on issues, rather than insults.

Speaking last Saturday, the Chiefs led by Nana Oda Gyamfi III, Paramount Chief of Asukoko Traditional Area, noted their admiration for Dr Bawumia’s approach.

“Nananom of Krachi East have been following your campaign with interest and admiration. Your campaign, which is grounded with evidence, is issue-based and devoid of insults. Your humility is also infectious,” said Nana Oda Gyamfi III on behalf of the Chiefs.

The Chiefs also praised Dr Bawumia’s exemplary character and unblemished record as Vice President. “During your 8 years as Vice President of the Republic, you have not been cited for corruption or any fraudulent deal. To us, therefore, you are a credible and honest leader with integrity,” the Chiefs added. They acknowledged his inclusivity, noting, “Your love for all manner of persons without discrimination based on age, gender, ability, disability, tribal or religious consideration is exemplary.”

Development Projects

Expressing gratitude to the NPP government, the Chiefs, also highlighted various developmental projects that have positively impacted the region, dating back to the administration of former President John Agyekum Kufuor.

“Krachi East owes the NPP a great debt of gratitude. It was under the NPP administration of J. A. Kufuor that Krachi East became both a Constituency and administrative district,” said Nana Oda Gyamfi III.

Highlighting specific infrastructure projects, he said, “the sod-cutting ceremony for the construction of a first-class road from Asukoko to Dambai, was under the reign of former President Kufuor. The continuation of the road from Kete Krachi, and the extension from Kpandai, were undertaken by the Nana Akufo-Addo administration.”

NDC’s Fear

In August, former President Mahama, had reason to point out that the governing party was making inroads in the Volta Region, citing the results in the last two general elections.

According to Mr Mahama, the NPP, has devised propaganda and vote buying strategy, to convince and win votes in the NDC stronghold.

Speaking at Juapong in the North Tongu constituency during the first day of his tour of the Region, Mr Mahama, acknowledged that votes of the NPP, have appreciated in the last two elections with the party polling about 14.1percent in the 2020 general elections, against the NDC’s 84.8percent.

He said, this was not the case in the era of the late former President Jerry Rawlings, where the NPP, used to get single digits votes in the Volta Region during general elections.

“In Rawlings’s time, NPP used to get single digits in the Volta Region. In 2016 they have climbed and climbed and in 2020 they got 14percent and so, it means that they are making inroads into the Volta Region.

“Now what do they do, they use propaganda and they come and tell you that you vote for NDC all the time and NDC has done nothing for you. And so even though we can see what we have gotten under NDC, the propaganda is so strong that we believe that NDC has done nothing”, he said.

Mr Mahama, debunked the assertion that successive NDC governments, abandoned the Volta Region and explained that projects initiated and completed by NDC in the region, are engineered to benefit generations.

He added that, the NPP refused to complete projects started by the NDC while in government, citing the

Juapong – Abutia Road, the Eastern Corridor Road, the collapse of Juapong Textiles, which he said was revived by the NDC government among others.

“They will come with propaganda and say NDC has done nothing for you. You see, NDC invests in things that would benefit the people, their children, their grandchildren, and their great-grandchildren.

“When we provide electricity, you are not the only one going to enjoy it, your children will enjoy it. When we build infrastructure in your schools, you are not the only one going to enjoy it, it will be there for your grandchildren, and when they are sick they will go to the hospitals. When we provide drinking water, you are not the only one going to drink that water, your children will drink that water”, he said.

Mr Mahama, indicated that the NPP has backed its propaganda with vote-buying to influence a few electorates to vote for their presidential and parliamentary candidates in elections.

He, therefore, advised the electorates to stand their guard, take the money being shared, but vote for their preferred NDC candidates on December 7, to help him restore the country’s ailing economy and steer Ghana to the “promised land”.

“What the NPP does is, they will come and choose amongst you, 1,2,3,4 people, and when they steal the money, they will give them some. And so they also will come and give you 200, 200, 200, 200 and you will say since we started elections nobody has come to give me 200 cedis so I will vote for NPP.

“But you forget the more lasting development, the more lasting benefit, that benefits not only your community but generations yet unborn, you forget that it was provided by the NDC.

“They are going to come with the money, and I am telling the people of Juapong, of North Tongu, when the money comes, collect it and chop it, because the money is your own money, and when you go to the ballot box, vote for the truth”, he stressed.

Meanwhile, even though the NPP admits it cannot go past their opponents to win the regions which was divided by the Akufo-Addo government, it is certain it will increase it votes.

According to the spokesperson for the Bawumia Campaign Team, Dennis Miracle Aboagye, NPP will not win in the Volta region in the 2024 election, but he is confident it political fortunes in the region, will witness a significant boost.

“The Ghanaian voter today wants development and that is why they will vote for NPP. We’re not going to win in Volta region and that one I will be very honest with you but the votes we had in 2020, we will poll three times for Dr Bawumia on December 7,” he is quoted as saying during an interview on Accra based Neat FM.

The party, has announced it is targeting to pull some 300,000 votes for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

It said, it has devised several strategies towards achieving this feat which would represent about a 200percent increase in the votes accrued for President Akufo-Addo in the 2020 general elections.

Source: Anchorghana.com