DFP Guru Joins NPP

Some members of now defunct Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) including its national treasurer, Ruby Aba Folson, have openly declared support for the presidential candidate of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) and joined the party. They have defied an advise by the party�s founder, Dr Obed Yao Asamoah, for them to join the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) as he and some of his other colleagues including Bede Ziedeng have done. At a ceremony in Accra yesterday, Aba Folson and other members of the DFP told journalists that �the decision taken by some executives of the party to join the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which we broke away from barely 5 years ago, is most unfortunate and a betrayal of trust of the rank and file of the party as well as the principles we stand for.� This, she said, was due to the fact that there was no consensus before Dr Obed Asamoah and his colleagues left the party to join the NDC and thus urged party faithful who had not yet made up their minds as to which political party to join, to consider the NPP as the best option since �Nana Akufo-Addo and the NPP have a proven track record and can offer much more quality leadership for this nation.� Subsequently, the flag of the DFP was lowered, with adorned t-shirts and other paraphernalia removed, thereby making way for the flag of the NPP. Present were 1st National Vice Chairman of the NPP, Fred Oware and the party�s vociferous Parliamentary Candidate for Adenta, Frances Assiam, who were there to welcome the former DFP members on board. Ms Assiam recalled how some of them were virtually hounded out of the NDC to go and form the DFP, indicating that �the violent nature of the NDC was unacceptable and inhumane and that the party lacked enough internal democracy and against free expression of opinions and views.� For Madam Folson and her colleague members of the DFP who have defected to join the NPP, nothing had changed about the ruling NDC for them to join. This, according to her, was evident in the fact that �just days after rejoining, we have all been witnesses to how Obed Asamoah has been bashed from all angles for just expressing his opinion about the founding of the NDC�, asking, �Is it not obvious that the old nightmares still exists?� �As politicians, it is imperative for us to conduct ourselves in ways that would ensure that we are taken serious by being principled and standing by our words and pledges in order to earn respect desired from the populace we seek to lead,� Madam Aba Folson noted. She cautioned any member of the DFP seeking to follow those joining the NDC to look at the happenings in the ruling party as �they stand a risk of being victimized and marginalized should they rejoin the NDC.� The former DFP capo said Dr. Obed Asamoah and General Secretary of the NDC, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, had been widely vilified for the merger. On his part, Fred Oware asked people from various political parties including members of the NDC who wanted to identify themselves with the NPP because of its proven track record to join the party without hesitation. In his opinion, the DFP members who opted to join the NDC took a bad decision since the party had nothing to offer Ghanaians. He encouraged the new entrants to make a commitment by joining the NPP at the local level since �the strength of the party lies at the constituencies� because �we want to see a sense of party activism, not only at the national level but at the constituency level because everybody votes at a polling station within a constituency�.