A regional officer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Savannah Region, Abdul Nasser Adam Aforo, has stated that the NDC, is losing their hold on the five (5) Northern Regions to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the party must take immediate steps to remedy the developing political situation.
In a write-up targeted at the leadership of the NDC in reaction to a recent visit of the Vice President and presidential candidate of the NPP, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to the Yagbonwura (King of the Gonja people), The Nayiri, (Overlord of Mamprugu), and the Ya Naa (Overlord of Danbon), Nasser Adam Aforo identifies what he says is the growing influence of the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, in strategic places in the five (5) Northern Regions where the NDC has traditionally held as their strongholds.
“Yesterday [21 November 20230] will stand out as the most devastating day for me (and I believe for many Gonjas in particular and Ghanaians in general) following the unfortunate and embarrassing act that was occasioned at the palace of the Yagbonwura, the King of Gonjas when Vice President Dr Bawumia paid him a courtesy call.
“The act was the enskinment of Dr Bawumia as the unity chief in Gonja (not Dagbon, not Mamprugu, not northern Ghana, and indeed not Ghana). The extent of my devastation was deepened when I read Ya Naa’s admonition to Dr Bawumia when he visited him on the same day that he visited Yagbonwura.
“What made my devastation complete was when I juxtaposed the advice of Nayiri, the Mamprugu overlord to Dr Bawumia, the day preceding his visit to Yagbonwura that he should be seen as a symbol of unity. Clearly, the Nayiri was suggesting to him that he was not doing enough to unite the people and must work at that” Nasser Adam Aforo wrote in his post.
He continued; “Comrade, since 2016, palaces in Gonja have continuously caused the NDC pain after pain. In most cases, they have caused the NDC and H. E. John Mahama in particular so much embarrassment. What is the crime of the NDC? What is the crime of H. E. John Mahama? What have we all done wrong to deserve this recurrent and unfortunate happenings?
“We have always been angry and livid anytime this happens. Unfortunately, in our anger, we throw our hands in despair and contemplate boycotting our palaces. Is that the solution? I say an emphatically no.
“I say no because you will recall the massive support the NDC enjoyed in Gonja from 1992 – 2012. This support soared in 2008 when H. E John Mahama was chosen as the running mate of Prof Mills. It reached a crescendo in 2012 when H. E. John Mahama became the presidential candidate of the NDC.
“What caused the sudden slump from 2016 till date? Why have our palaces become the playground for the NPP? Why are our Chiefs pandering to the desires of the NPP? Why has the NPP been able to set the agenda in our Gonja palaces, Nasser asked in his write-up?
“We (NDC) need as a party and as a people to do an introspection in a dispassionate and sober manner. We (NDC) must look into ourselves as a party and find out what we are not doing well. I do not think the good vibes we see in Dagbon palaces happen in a vacuum or spontaneously. They are controlled to reflect the dignity of the palaces.
“What relationships have we developed with our palaces? On 12 August 2022, the Council of Elders of the Savanah Region discussed this matter amongst many others and came out with a beautiful working document. The document diagnosed the problems, proposed solutions and implementation strategy. What happened to the document?
“There is something we as NDC are not doing well. We are not building the needed relationships as required. We are not strengthening our collaboration with key stakeholders including our palaces. We are not predicting the NPP and foiling their strategies when we have the capacity to do same,” Nasser Adam Aforo lamented in his post.
“Who are our signalers and prompters in all our palaces? We cannot be doing the same thing and expect different results. We cannot get angry at such acts without doing anything to change them. We still have a little more time to change the narrative. We can and we must do something immediately. The reality is that the NPP will give us a showdown in Savanah if we don’t double up. The time is now” he further stated in his post.