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THE SEFWI Akontombra Constituency Chairman of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Alex Tetteh has told DAILY GUIDE in a telephone interview that 50 members of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) defected to the party last Saturday.
He said the defectors were led by Harry Addo, former Akontombra Constituency Youth Organizer of the NDC who declared their intention during a press conference held at Akontombra that same day.
“We have welcomed them to the NPP family and they have all vowed to work their hearts out with our organizers to win the Akontombra seat and the presidential slot in the constituency, Tetteh added.
When contacted, Harry Addo confirmed that the members left the NDC because they could no longer stand the culture of silence, discrimination, division, internal wrangling and intimidation being meted out to them by the DCE, the MP for Akontombra and some members of the party.
He said the MP and DCE often held various meetings with their cronies within the constituency to discuss pertinent issues without informing him, the constituency chairman and other polling station organizers.
Addo, who claimed he had also been the polling station organizer for Wansanto for the past four years, noted that nine polling station executives from various places including Attakrom, Bisiba, Esaase, Tanokrom and Anweafutu had all defected to the NPP.
“Those members that the DCE and MP branded as FONKAR or the Rawlings factor have also left the party and more will join us soon because we stand for truth and democracy,” he added.
He accused MP for Akontombra, Herod Cobbinah and the DCE for the area, Peter Nkuah of being autocratic. He said the duo did not want other aspiring parliamentary candidates to contest against Cobbinah in the primaries thereby breeding division in the party.
He said various complaints about the matter sent to regional executives fell on deaf ears adding that one Kobby, the MP’s driver had once threatened to kill him in Kumasi while brandishing a knife.
When contacted, the NDC Constituency Chairman for Akontombra, Solomon Asamoah stated clearly that the problems in the constituency were enormous and confirmed that Harry Addo and others had really defected to the NPP.
“Master, I may leave the party very soon because the DCE and MP don’t give me the free hand to operate as constituency chairman. They don’t even have the least respect for me and will always want to dictate to me,” he said.
He said truth was absent in the party and those who advocated for it were branded enemies and marginalized.
He alleged that the DCE who was supposed to be neutral during the parliamentary primaries openly campaigned for Herod Cobbinah, the incumbent MP against four other contestants.
“When I complained they marginalized me and other honest and democratic members of the party and the MP has since not been on speaking terms with me. Most of the members have already served notice to defect to other parties or stop being members of the NDC because of the divide and rule tactics of the DCE and MP as well as the intimidation and lies that have gripped the party in Akontombra.”
Mr Cobbinah, when contacted said the defection of Harry Addo and his group would in no way affect the fortunes of the NDC in the constituency adding “as they have left others too are joining us secretly.”
He denied that the DCE for the area ever campaigned openly for him during the primaries or that he was not on speaking terms with the constituency chairman, Paa Solo.
The MP told DAILY GUIDE that he never distributed wax prints and other commodities to induce delegates vote for him but bought some motorbikes for some constituency executives for the upcoming general elections.
From Sam Mark Essien, Takoradi
