The New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidate for the Talensi District, Robert Ayindenaba Alibo, has criticized the National Democratic Congress (NDC) for failing to deliver tangible benefits to Talensi despite decades of voter loyalty.
He attributed some of the stagnation to a decision made in 1992 when minority parties, including the NPP, chose not to contest the parliamentary elections, thereby giving the NDC the mandate to represent Talensi in Parliament. “We have come a long way, and I believe part of the blame must be placed squarely on the decision in 1992 by minority parties not to contest the parliamentary elections,” he said.
Mr. Alibo suggested that this decision, coupled with ongoing negative propaganda against the NPP, has hindered the party’s influence and progress in the region. “Beyond that, you also see the type of propaganda that has been waged against the NPP over the years.”
Addressing the issue of stereotyping, Mr. Alibo pointed out that the NDC has exploited perceptions of the NPP as an “Akan party” to deter northern support. While acknowledging that stereotyping is a global issue, he emphasized that the NDC has used this to undermine the NPP’s appeal in the north. “The fact that northerners have more interactions with the Akans and the fallout of those relationships might be described by sociologists as stereotyping. But our people need to understand that stereotyping is a global phenomenon. It is not a matter of southerners versus northerners or Frafras versus Akans.”
“The NDC exploited this global phenomenon to their advantage by branding the NPP as an Akan party, which made the NPP seem like something no northerner should associate with. This has affected us over the years,” he discussed on A1 Radio.
Despite these challenges, Mr. Alibo praised the NPP’s progress since 1992 and called for internal unity within the party to secure electoral success. “Since 1992, the NPP has been making steady progress.”
“At the community level, people can point to things that the NPP has accomplished, such as CHPS compounds, school blocks, and electricity,” he said. He urged voters to consider the NPP’s achievements and vote him into Parliament, contrasting this with what he described as the NDC’s lack of development over the past 30 years. “When you ask people to point out what the NDC has accomplished in the 30 years they have been given, there is nothing to show for it,” he alleged.
Source: A1Radioonline.Com|101.1 MHz|Gifty Eyram Kudiabor|Bolgatanga
