A Senior Lecturer and Political Analyst at the University of Cape Coast (UCC), Dr. Jonathan Asante Otchere, has described the downfall of many New Patriotic Party (NPP) Members of Parliament (MPs) in the just ended primaries as a sign of defeat for the party in the forthcoming general elections.
He has labeled the development from the primaries as a product of lack of performance on the part of the party at the national level, a situation that would hugely affect the party’s chances in retaining power.
Dr. Asante Otchere, speaking to Onua FM in an interview over the weekend, underscored that the devastating defeat of many incumbent MPs is a clear indication of the party’s abysmal performance.
“What has happened is a product of lack of performance at the national level and that has reflected in the individual constituencies.”
He noted that the outcome is a clear message from the grassroots to the party leadership, which has to be addressed urgently if the party is to retain power.
The NPP parliamentary primaries saw about 34 incumbent MPs losing their bid to represent the party again in the next parliamentary elections and left many of them disgruntled and irked with a suspicion of being sabotaged.
Commenting on the humiliating defeats of the sitting MPs, Dr. Asante Otchere indicated that the NPP is likely to taste defeat in the general elections looking at the time constraints for the party to be united.
He lauded the delegates and indicated that electorates have sent a strong message that politicians can never take them for granted.
The Political Analyst insisted that all the MPs who were shielded by the party’s leadership to go unopposed would have suffered the same defeat.
He noted that most of the MPs who were protected from being contested may be popular at the helm of affairs in terms of governance but not popular at the grounds and the party picked intelligence, knowing the damning consequences, and decided to safeguard them.
Dr. Asante Otchere thus urged NPP leadership and government officials to engage the party supporters from the grassroots in convincing and reassuring them to recapture their support before December 7 or anticipate a shocking defeat.
By Maxwell Otoo|Onua FM|3news.com|Ghana