The Greater Accra Regional National Democratic Congress(NDC) held its regional conference to elect new executive members to steer the affairs of the party for the next four years.
The incumbent Regional Chairman, Mr Joseph Ade Coker, retained his position in an election which was keenly fought amid allegations of vote buying and other unprofessional tactics. Mr Ade Coker granted Daily Graphic�s Abdul Aziz an exclusive interview on the election, his agenda for 2016 and what the party needed to do to retain political power. Below are excerpts of the interview:
Abdul Aziz (AA): Congratulations, you have just been retained as the Greater Accra Regional Chairman of the ruling NDC amid allegations of vote buying by a section of your party members and some aspirants. How are you bringing every member of your party, including the losing aspirants on board?
Joseph Ade Coker (JAC): I am extending an olive branch to them to come on board and very soon the newly elected executive will embark on a �thank you�� tour to the branches and constituencies with the chairman aspirants who lost.
It is time to begin the healing process and I expect them also to open their hearts and work with the new executive in good faith since ��we need everybody on board.��
AA: You are being accused of vote buying?
JAC: This is a figment of the imagination of those who think the elections did not go the way they wanted. You cannot buy the conscience of the people.It is God who makes leaders and thank God for making me emerge as the regional chairman.There is nothing like buying the conscience of 337 delegates. This is impossible, and people should stop spreading falsehood. I only did what is normal under every election circumstances to win the support and faith of the people.
AA: The former President JJ Rawlings also described you as a spent force. What is your reaction?
JAC: The good people have spoken by voting for me to win the elections despite the comment of the former President. I am not over yet. The NDC delegates and myself see that I still have a contribution to make in the democratic dispensation which, among other things, is to help empower people to realise their potential.
AA: What do you think really accounted for your victory?
JAC: The people are discerning and believed in me because of the enormous work my executive and I did in the 2012 elections.
With the limited resources and money that we had at our disposal, we were able to tour the branches and constituencies to interact with them and that led to the victory in 2012 and they believe in me to repeat that feat.
AA: What are you going to do differently this time around?
JAC: This time around it is going to be a bottom-up approach and nobody is going to sit in the office.
We are visiting the constituencies on daily, weekly and monthly basis and above all we need to ensure that they are empowered. So from the regional minister, the regional executive to the grass roots everybody is going to come from his comfort zone and reduce to the commonality of the people and be with them day and night to ensure that they remain faithful to the NDC party.
AA: Your advice to members of the NDC, aspirants and delegates?
JAC: I call on the aspirants and their supporters to eschew divisiveness and rancour and be civil as they go about their campaign.
This is because any negative and intemperate language we use against ourselves is being noted by the opposition parties, who would readily use those weapons against the party in 2016, which is capable of ��undoing us��, Mr Ade Coker cautioned.
AA: Given the challenges or difficulties facing the economy, what do you think are the chances of the NDC in 2016?
JAC: We are going to prosecute the 2016 elections with vigour since all promises the party made to the electorate will be fulfilled and footsoldiers empowered to explain government policies and programmes regarding power and water supply.
He said with Accra and its surrounding villages benefiting from the Better Ghana Agenda, he was sure the party would prevail in the 2016 elections.
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