NDC General Secretary endorses tribal politics

The General Secretary of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Fifi Fiavi Kwetey, has described elections in Ghana as an Ashanti-Ewe affair, admonishing the people from the Volta Region to see every election in Ghana as a direct competition between Ashantis and Ewes.

Urging the people in the region to identify with the NDC as their religion, he indicated that a person must hold onto his religion no matter how bad the religion is. “Your religion may not be the best, but that is your religion. It is your responsibility to make sure that you fix it, you change it. You bring changes within that religion,” he said.

Speaking during a tour of the Volta region by John Dramani Mahama, NDC flagbearer, Mr. Kwetey entreated the people from the region to get accustomed to the opposition party, own and believe in it irrespective of its performance in government and contribution to the development of the region. He noted that the people of Ashanti Region, and to an extent, the Eastern Region, support the NPP and it should not be seen as a bad thing if those in the Volta Region support the NDC.

He indicated that in advanced democracies, different geographical locations identify with various political parties and there is nothing wrong for Ghana to treat elections as an Ashanti-Ewe affair.

“Ghana politics is Ashanti vs. Ewes, and that is why as a Voltarian, you must take NDC like your religion. Whether good or bad, you must stand by it and defend the party with your life. If you go to Ashanti and Eastern region, they always vote for the NPP but here in the Volta, our youth are running away from our party and joining the Ashantis in their party. It is shameful,” he said.

“You talk to some young people of Volta, they think it is something of pride to say ‘as for us we are not like our forefathers and uncles, and we believe that we should not continue with that [supporting the NDC]’. There is nothing wrong holding to the foundation, that is the clear foundation, that has built our culture,” he said.

Decrying the dwindling fortunes of the NDC in the Volta region, Mr Kwettey stated that  “No matter how poorly NPP may lead, no matter how bad NPP may govern, no matter even how bad NPP may neglect those regions (Ashanti and Eastern), they understand that is their party.”