The National Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia, has attributed their 2024 electoral success in the Upper West Region largely to internal reconciliation and renewed unity among its ranks.
Speaking at Sissala East District during his “thank you tour” of the Region, Asiedu Nketia noted that the NDC historically dominated the Upper West Region, particularly in the Sissala area, but began losing seats due to internal divisions rather than voter rejection.
According to him, a detailed assessment following his assumption of office as Chairman revealed that factional infighting within the party was largely responsible for what he described as “needless” electoral defeats.
“We realised that most of the seats we were losing were not because of the people voting against us, but because the party itself was fighting internally,” he said.
He explained that the party subsequently embarked on a reconciliation process across the region, with Sissala East identified as one of the most challenging areas due to deep-seated divisions.
Despite the difficulties, he said the efforts yielded positive results, restoring peace and cohesion within the party structures.
“Thank God, peace prevailed and understanding prevailed, so I was not surprised at all when the results came,” he added.
Mr Asiedu Nketia revealed that the NDC managed to win almost all polling station branches in the constituency, losing only a few, which he described as a clear indication of the success of the reconciliation efforts.
The NDC Chairman also commended the area’s Member of Parliament for what he described as an impressive start in Parliament, expressing confidence in his potential to grow into a formidable national leader.
“When you go to Parliament, you cannot learn everything within your first four years, but the way your MP has started shows he will become a great leader in the future,” he said.
As part of the tour, Mr Asiedu Nketia indicated that he was also in the constituency to assess the performance of the District Chief Executive (DCE), particularly in relation to campaign promises made by the party.
He explained that the exercise was aimed at ensuring accountability and tracking the progress of development projects in the district.
“We promised a lot during the campaign, and we have four years to deliver. After one year, we need to come back and listen to the people and assess how far we have gone,” he stated.
Mr Nketia added that the DCE was made to publicly account for funds allocated to the assembly, with residents affirming the existence of the projects through their reactions during the engagement.
Asiedu Nketia praised the DCE for what he described as commendable performance, expressing satisfaction with the level of development witnessed so far.
By Ibrahim Abubakari Wangara
