New entrant into Parliament next year, Alhassan Suhuyini has rejected the view that corruption, incompetence, and arrogance cost the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), the 2016 general elections.
In a post-election analysis, the NDC MP-elect for Tamale North in the Northern region said he is convinced that the party lost because of ignorant voters and a forgetful electorate.
Suhuyini does not believe that ¢200 million lost in SADA scandal, ¢952 million lost through GYEEDA and the payment of ¢657 million in questionable judgment debts had any impact on voters. The NDC was trounced in the December 7 polls which threw up records unseen in Ghana's politics. The NDC's presidential candidate became the first President to lose a re-election and the first to lose in a first round vote.
Mahama's 44.40% is the lowest any incumbent presidential candidate has ever obtained at the polls since a return to democracy in 1992. Although the elections was hyped as a close contest between the two parties, the NDC lost to the NPP by more than 1million votes.
But analysing its failure, three new MPs, Tamale North NDC MP Alhassan Suhuyini, NPP MP-elect George Andah and Ledzokuku NPP Dr. Okoe Boye were on Joy FM Tuesday.
The NDC MP stressed that he does not think that NDC lost because of corruption, incompetence, arrogance as claimed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP). The word 'incompetent' became a sensitive word during the campaign as the NPP tried to cast the NDC government as spectacularly incompetent.
"I disagree that [corruption, incompetence, arrogance cost us]. Those are not the reasons... I think forgetfulness and perhaps ignorance played a major role", he said. "If people voted because they think the NDC was corrupt it is because they have forgotten or it is because they were not, let me say, mature enough at the time NDC won power in 2009."
Explaining his point, Suhuyini said Ghanaians forgot past corruption scandals under the erstwhile NPP administration led by President John Kufuor. The Tamale North MP said Ghanaians forgot about the mismanagement of the Ghana@50 celebrations and the arrogance of certain officials like Stephen Asamoah Boateng.
Mr. Suhuyini believes children during the NPP administration between 2001 to 2008 had turned 18 years and above and had become eligible voters. These 'Primary 3, Primary 4' students turned 18 years were not 'matured enough' to remember the sins of the past NPP government.
The MP who is a show host of a pro-NDC radio station, Radio Gold repeated his party's long-held belief that the media worked against the NDC government. Suhuyini accused the media of weakening the base of the party using negative stories. He insisted "NPP's propaganda machine fuelled by a media conspiracy led to a despondency within NDC".
He stressed that the NPP media-supported propaganda machine was "so strong" and "bitter" in spite of government media blitz weeks to the elections.
Contributing to the discussion, another new entrant, the NPP's Nenyi George Andah who brought down the mighty Hanna Tetteh at Awutu Senya West expressed surprise at his opponent's view. "You are simply not reading enough, you are not smelling the ground enough, you are not hearing the people....you are living in total deception," he told Suhuyini. The former Chief Marketing Officer of MTN Ghana and Glo Ghana's Chief Operating Officer rejected Alhassan Suhuyini's view that Ghanaians were ignorant about NPP's past sins.
George Andah said for eight years in government, the NDC failed to prosecute any NPP official for alleged corruption and mismanagement.
"You haven't been able to prosecute one single NPP official ,,,and after eight years you come and sit on air after you have lost an election and say that Ghanaians have forgotten that NPP people were corrupt?" "And you tell us that NPP people are doing propaganda? Like seriously? How does that work?"
"Ghanaians are discerning. Ghanaians are not immature.... Ghanaian heard the message of change...Ghanaians punished the NDC...Ghanaians are not an ungrateful people," the marketing guru emphasised.
The one-time CIMG Marketing Man of the Year said if the Tamale North MP and the NDC persist in this kind of analysis, then "NDC is going to be in opposition for a very, very long time".
Contributing to the debate, Ledzokuku NPP Dr. Okoe Boye said he found it unfortunate that the NDC MP-elect believes immature voters cost the government the elections. He said the 2016 elections was squarely decided by the issues of jobs and corruption. He explained voters found government's job creation record abysmal but found faith in the NPP's manifesto titled "Change, an agenda for jobs".
"The number one issue on everybody's mind was jobs...unemployment was a national security issue..." he stressed.
He stressed an NPP line of argument that Ghana is not poor, it is poorly managed. This mismanagement contributed to the problems of joblessness. He linked corruption to job creation noting that to fix the economy, it was important to kick out the NDC government.
Dr. Oko Boye said for an senior NDC member turned anti-corruption activist Martin Amidu to campaign against his own party proves that the NDC lost because of its incompetence and corruption.
"Corruption was an issue. Why wouldn't corruption be an issue if you have a founding member saying that President Mahama is a brother from the North but looking at his disposition against corrupt officials, he must go so we fix the country" he said.
The Ledzokuku MP-elect said no amount of media campaigns or propaganda can influence a voter who has had to endure 8 years of economic hardship.
"You can throw up propaganda to him that look we are doing well but it will take sometime. But after 8 years of increasing hardship, you can buy three hours of air-time, it will do little because the experience down there overwhelms what is put out there" he said.
video below:-
Source: myjoyonline.com
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I'm surprised NDC is searching far away for reasons for its defeat. The reasons are basic and traced to the finance ministers office. Look! all over the world from Greece to Spain to Portugal governments that went into elections with austerity around their necks lost. Think about these: you came to power and opened more Nurses/midwifery schools where thousands of students rush into only for their allowance to be canceled, another thousands came out demonstrating on the street with no hope for jobs. You opened flood gate for trainees in teacher training colleges only to cancel their allowance leaving them shouting on the street everyday. As we are speaking, the following funds are in areas for more than a year:capitation grant, national health insurance, district assembly common fund, absorbed fees for SHS etc. In deed the last quarter of some these funds for 2015 was released 2 days to the elections. Dont forget withholding these monies for a long time affect thousands of suppliers and their employees. You sent electricity/water to so many communities yet people either lack water or sleep in darkness either due to dumsor or high tariff. Not to talk about grants to secure basic necessities to run MDAs all over the country. These things are happening amidst suffocating tax regime with high unemployment. These are issues that touch every life in every corner of the country, hence clear in the trend of the election results. Kwame Nkrumah Inter change, Kotokoraba market, Legon/Ridge hospitals etc,etc. etc. make no meaning to those who lack basic things due to these killer austerity policies. Imagine a wife whose husband put up a golden mansion for her to dwell in, yet lacks water and food. she will sleep with a labourer in a kiosk and come back. In short NPP did not win 2016, it was NDC that lost peroid. A lesson to Nana Addo regime
Look at this local boy telling the Ghanaian voter that he is ***barred word***. Who is more ignoramus than you. Soon Woyome will come demanding your share of the GHC51 Million with interest. Your arrogance will send out of Parliament the next election. Mark it.
Such a naive mindset. When people vote for NDC, are they naive and ***barred word*** of NDCs filthy deals? My friend learn wisdom so as to be guided in your utterances. Shame!!!
you lost because of corruption and bribery.....
IF NOT POLITICS HOW CAN THIS NAIVE OF A POLITICIAN CALL GHANAIANS ***barred word***. 1 CHAMPION CONDOM BY HIS PARENTS WOULD HAVE PREVENTED THIS ABSURD UTTERANCES FROM HIM TO GH PPLE.
So when will some of these NDC guys learn common sense, so you think Ghanaians have forgotten Wayome Saga, SADA Saga, GYEEDA Saga, Bus branding Saga, World Cup Saga, Ford Saga, NHIS collapsing, high utility tariff,inflated cost of projects, AMERI deal and etc, and etc...you deceive yourself that its bcos of forgetfulness your time will come.
You lost because of friends and family government. The naked robbery of the national purse has been a systematic plan from the top. We're not ***barred word***. Ghana deserves better than such mediocre NDC government.
@OTOLIO, see the nonfa you dey talk. smh. With such comments, i know very well that NDC is going to be in opposition for the next forever.
PEACEFM....BRAIN.....LE....SS IS NOT AN A CURSE WORD PLEASE.
YES, I HAVE SAID IT BEFORE AND WILL SAY IT AGAIN, THE NDC REALLY BELIEVE THAT GHANAIANS ARE ***barred word***. HOW ELSE WOULD SUCH A SMALL BOY TALK LIKE THAT? THEY HAVE NO RESPECT FOR THE CITIZENS BECAUSE THEY KNOW MAJORITY OF US ARE NOT EDUCATED, AND THAT IS WHY THEY FIGHT SO HARD TO MAKE GOING TO SCHOOL LITERALLY IMPOSSIBLE BY INCREASING TARIFFS ON EVERYTHING, SO PARENTS CAN'T AFFORD SCHOOL FEES AFTER PAYING FOR HOUSEHOLD BILLS. I HOPE HIS PEOPLE ARE LISTENING AND WILL VOTE HIM OUT COME NEXT ELECTION 2020 GOD WILLING. WITH SUCH THINKING, HE CAN'T BRING PROGRESS TO THE PEOPLE, AND CERTAINLY WON'T CARE WHAT BECOMES OF THEM WHEN HE IS IN POWER. LORD HAVE MERCY