Jubilation as members of NDC allegedly defect to NPP

Europa 16:05 - 15 August 2016

The defectors said they decided to cross carpet because they found the NDC “boring” and “disappointing”.

Forty-nine members of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) have defected to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Bolgatanga in the Upper East region.

The defectors said they decided to cross carpet because they found the NDC “boring” and “disappointing”. The converts who are all ladies have been organised into a group known as “Alhaji Ismaila Vibrant Ladies”.

Chairperson of the group Abigail Agambire, said: “I followed them (NDC) for about eight years. They made me know the regions in Ghana and they didn’t help me. That’s why I moved to NPP. And it’s because of Alhaji Ismaila (the patron of the Vibrant Ladies) and others that I moved to NPP. Alhaji Ismaila [in] opposition is helping me. So, I said let me join; when he comes to power, it would be better than joining the NDC.”

Secretary of the group Cynthia Tindan said “things are too hard; so, we decided to withdraw ourselves. It’s just boring. Even we don’t see anything from the President [let alone] the NDC members. I am an [SHS] graduate but where is the money to go back to school? It’s just a boring party, the most annoying party that I have ever seen.”

The group have been assigned a task to get as many voters as possible to choose the NPP during the general elections.

However, the party’s parliamentary candidate for Bolgatanga Central, Rex Asanga, cautioned the convertors against associating with the members of the NDC.

“After this, the NDC will start looking for you. Madam Chair, you will be the first person they will call. And they would give you some Gh¢1,000 or Gh¢2,000 to beg you to bring the others to come back [that] they are now ready to support and help them. If someone had ignored you, you have been hungry; then, the time you say ‘thank you very much, bye-bye, I’m going’, the person now runs up to you and says ‘come back, I want to give you food’, do you think it’s genuine food? He only wants your vote. These are all lies. Tell them it is too late.”

He rather encouraged them to “go back into the NDC fold and bring many more of your type who are also suffering out there but quiet. Please, don’t rest. If you don’t grow, if you are not able to bring more people on board, you are going to die because party activities [are] about numbers. Don’t become satisfied.”