Central Regional Chairman of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs, says he alone cannot be blamed for the party’s defeat in the 2016 general elections in the region.

According to him, “I worked with the likes of former Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah-Arthur, and a former Deputy Finance Minister, Cassiel Ato Forson in the region, and so I cannot be solely blamed for the party’s massive loss in the region”.

The Regional Chairman did not offer reasons why the former Vice President who hails from Moree in the Central Region and the ex-deputy finance minister who also doubled as the Regional Campaign Coordinator for the elections, should bear responsibility for the loss.

Speaking to journalists during the party’s election for constituency executives in the Central Region on Saturday, June 23, 2018 Mr Allotey Jacobs said, “even if they say I didn’t do well, the Vice President is even from this region, national executive members, the (Regional) Campaign Coordinator, Ato Forson, is from this Region, so why should I be blamed for not winning the elections for the NDC in the Central Region?”

The NDC, prior to the 2016 general elections, had 16 parliamentary seats in the Central Region, while the then opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) had seven seats, but the party was only able to keep four seats as against the NPP’s 19.

Another blow to the NDC in the 2016 parliamentary elections was the loss of two of its traditional seats, the Ekumfi and the Twifo-Atimokwa constituencies to the NPP.

In the presidential elections, the NDC had 43.4 percent of the total presidential votes in the Central Region in 2016, as against 52.1 percent in 2012.

The NPP secured 53.2 percent of votes cast in the region in 2016, increasing the 45.5 percent it had in 2012.

Mr. Allotey Jacobs was however, hopeful the election of constituency executives by the NDC would bring about new and dedicated executives to strengthen it for future victory.

Meanwhile, the Regional Chairman has announced he will not contest for the chairmanship position again.

He said, his decision not to seek re-election was personal, but noted it was out of “an inner room discussion”, saying, “there is the need to give way to some new people”.

He said having been in politics for forty-eight years, “sometimes, there is the need for you to stay at the background and give elderly advice to newly elected executives”.

He thus appealed to NDC members to stay in the party to ensure victory in the 2020 general elections.