Politics of Tuesday, 11 July 2006

Source: -The Sun

NDC Crumbles Before DFP in Volta

IF DEATH does not strike that early, Ghana’s political life may be punctuated with excitement such that, the MOUSE would be consigned to ringing the political bell, while its sworn enemy, Mr. CAT, attends to beating the political drum.

For not even the rashest punter would have thought that the relatively safe haven of the Volta region, which had been a sure bet for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party, would tremble, let alone quake when yet another party comes knocking.

But today, that is the reality. For, a carefully planned tactic and strategy by remnants of the NDC- breakaway Democratic Freedom Party (DFP), are working religiously to right all perceived NDC wrongs.

Consequently, the very political giants on whose heads the dis-integrating NDC used to climb to power, have done a 180-degree turn and are in the hamlets, villages and cottages preaching DFP.

Only recently, about 216 strong NDC supporters at the Nkwanta district alone, announced their resignation and defected to the yet-to-be-outdoored DFP after the latter stormed there.

Back in Accra at Ridge, ex-President J.J. Rawlings and what is left of his faithful machine have been notified, even though the DFP continues to spread in fame and popularity like the broken bank of a river.

With so much cash for the purpose, and mobile phones for the lieutenants on fire in the trenches busily spreading the message, the experienced Dr. Asamoah has suddenly found his ludo dice strike 12 instead of 6.

Interestingly, the preaching-to-convert message has been buoyed on by crazy attacks at the now infamous Koforidua Congress, where Frances Asiam was penciled in for beatings and a bare strip, which would have revealed valuables of erotic interest.

Further physical attacks reserved for some leading members also remain a factor and it appears that, a selected number of today’s so-called faithfuls, are only waiting for the next cock-crow to walk through the door.

The DFP, piloted by a couple of THINK-TANKS, do believe quite justifiably too that, it is possible to claw the NDC support in the Volta region, which the Rawlings-group has carelessly taken for granted.

And with the tough economic situation at the present time, even NPP’s only hold in the region is seriously under threat, for the DFP and its agents appear to have the wherewithal to match the ruling party, boot for boot. The general impression does remain though that, DFP may not be able to make significant progress in the area of numbers in the overall voting pattern nationwide.

But certainly, even if it may not be a pendulum swing in 2008, it could conveniently be a turn of the wheel, while everyone else waited for 2012.

Around the time, a knighted Doc who had spent years in the bowels of the earth in search of precious metals, would have been in a position to deflate the increasingly over-blown ego of both the NPP and NDC.

And so with nationwide appeal, the DFP would then have shaken off the ghost and shadows of the fast-fading NDC, dis-engaging itself of the destructive and murder-image it acquired in the PNDC days.

That far, the DFP would have resolved to straighten the falling tree, not through attending to the shadow, but the natural way of tackling the slanted tree itself.