Source: Franklin Daarkuu, Nandom (0242715793)
“Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures”
There is no denying the fact that the rank and file of Nandom NDC have been seen doing their best possible to harness victory in the 2024 general elections for both parliamentary and presidential slots in the constituency. Kudos to the constituency EXECO. Chairman 24/7, you and your team are doing a yeoman’s job.
For your efforts and that of others not to be in vain, certain mechanisms are needed to be put in place or intensified as a result of and among others, the recent pronouncements made by Hon. Ambrose Dery indicating in a video that has gone viral that there is nobody in NDC in the Upper West region who is closer to H.E. John Dramani Mahama (JDM) than he, Ambrose is. Many are those who say this is just one of those ‘things.’ On the contrary, I think otherwise.
Before I go on to suggest the mechanisms needed to be put in place and/or be intensified, let me brief readers on what happened that led to the discussions on the said video.
Hon. Ambrose met a group of people in Tamale in June this year, 2024 in his bit to canvas votes in the upcoming general elections for the Nandom Constituency seat he is currently occupying.
He indicated among other views that Ghanaians are torn in-between the NPP flagbearer, H.E. Dr. Mahmoud Bawumia (DMB), and H.E. JDM of NDC both are from the north. His assertion in the video confirms, by extension that, he is not confident in his party’s flagbearer, DMB winning the upcoming general elections. So, what does he do? He cunningly plays the ostrich.
This is brilliant in contemporary politics. That is why at times some people do not comprehend why a particular political figure who is tagged with all sorts of derogatory remarks still wins elections against all odds. Also, his pronouncements confirm that he, Hon. Ambrose is losing touch with the grassroots due to the divisiveness, intolerance, lawlessness, and arrogance, among others that have become the order of the day exhibited by the majority of his close associates and “Altar Boys” in Nandom and elsewhere toward not only non-party members but also toward some party members whom these faithful of “a demi-god” perceive not to be in the camp of Hon. Ambrose. Mention can be made of some members who are or are perceived to be in the camp of Hon. Alois K.K. Mohl. Not to digress let me sail readers through information about Hon. Alois Mohl.
Hon. Alois K.K. Mohl is an astute member of the NPP of all standards, both at home and in the diaspora. He is admired by both NPP and NDC members in the Nandom Constituency. He was the former Deputy CEO of Social Investment Fund who was sacked from this position and job with fingers pointing at Hon. Ambrose Dery. This same gentleman, Hon. Alois was purported to have been screwed out (disqualified) from contesting the NPP parliamentary primaries this year, 2024, thereby ensuring the sole candidacy of Hon. Ambrose Dery in the NPP primaries. Hon. Alois K.K. Mohl is certainly a rock to contend with in the NPP fraternity in Nandom specifically, and the National NPP, generally speaking.
In the said viral video, you would hear the MP addressing his audience in a tone of neutrality. Again, the honourable is seen here to be applying the political dynamism of contemporary times which is beneficial to every political actor who needs massive votes from electorates. Nandom NDC does not underrate the exploits of the MP. You can do better if you desperately need to win the Nandom parliamentary seat.
Let’s not forget, that Hon. Ambrose is a politician who can go that extra mile to get what he wants politically. I cannot talk about his personal life in this regard for I may be saying what I cannot vouch for. As far as his political ambition is concerned, he can ‘move’ mountains amid storms to achieve his political gains. This is where the NDC in Nandom in particular, and the NDC in the region in general, should be bothered about. More often than not when Hon. Ambrose strikes with such pronouncements, the NDC in Nandom, respectfully, sweeps his comments under the carpet or trashes them into the trash bins thinking it is one of the usuals.
These are political strategies borne out of rhetoric to corrupt and sink into the minds of people who are even opposed to him politically. What he has said seeks to suggest that he does not oppose H.E. JDM winning, thereby luring Nandome who is faithful to JDM to his side. With the impact he has established in Nandom depending on the angle you view it; he has the potential to influence the minds of some faithful of NDC (to his advantage) who might not be up-to-date with the current NDC PC. I do not think this is what Nandom NDC wants to happen.
Again, what his pronouncements mean by extension is that when JDM wins and he, Ambrose also wins as MP, the people of Nandom, especially the NDC would not regret it because he, Ambrose is even closer to JDM than the NDC PC for Nandom, Dr. Richard Kuu-ire. He does this by cataloging his exploits in Nandom and beyond.
Remember similar pronouncements were made by this same person in the run-up to the 2012 and 2016 general elections. And what was the outcome of the elections in Nandom on these two occasions? Hon. Ambrose Dery won in the 2016 contest. However, he lost in his first attempt with this rhetoric in 2012 because the then communications team, ably led by Mr. Gordon Wellu as Director of Communications carved out strategic and pragmatic communication tools to counter Hon. Ambrose’s subtilty.
Has Nandom NDC asked itself why Hon. Ambrose Dery did not make the same pronouncements in the run-up to the 2020 general elections and he is doing it now, in the run-up to the 2024 general elections? Your guess is as good as mine. He alone knows the political fortunes he stands to gain in espousing those statements in the video. He knows for a fact that H.E. JDM is a sure candidate for the seat of the Presidency so he is reactivating what performed the magic for him in 2016. Is this what the NDC in Nandom should sleep over?
They should be perturbed and find pragmatic steps to avert what their political opponents are skewing to achieve. Surely, Nandom NDC at this moment needs a communication team that would exhibit the same, if not more, relevant communicative skills like that which were exhibited in 2012 godly led by Mr. Gordon Wellu. This, I am optimistic when put in place would see Nandom NDC winning back its traditional seat. Nandom was known to be the streak-winning hub of the NDC in both Parliamentary and Presidential elections. What has changed?
I become nostalgic when I read some of the comments from some of the Nandom NDC members on this same issue under discussion and I ask myself whether they are ready to win the parliamentary seat in Nandom. Some of those statements are funny, not by nature but by appearance. The NDC in Nandom by now should ‘know’ the person they are dealing with.
The party in Nandom seems to be overwhelmed by the resounding victory that awaits H.E. JDM and the NDC party come 2024 due to the neglect of certain pertinent issues that could inure to losing the parliamentary seat. What the MP is doing is simply activating political shenanigans employed through subtilty to soothe the hearts of wounded ‘lions.’
To be considered a better alternative in Nandom politics in the 2024 general elections, the NDC in Nandom should consider the issues below:
Leadership proactiveness is needed to neutralize the pacesetting approach of Hon. Ambrose Dery. There is no denying the fact that Hon. Ambrose Dery like others, including the PC of Nandom NDC, Hon. Richard Kuu-ire, are astute politician par excellence. The only thing is, there is something about the former that the NDC in Nandom needs to unearth. As I indicated in my introductory statements, I laud so far, the sense of leadership exhibited by the leadership of NDC in Nandom.
However, like Oliver Twist, much is still desired from not only leadership, but all and sundry in the Nandom Constituency to wrestle power from the few privileged in the camp of Hon. Ambrose Dery. When you need power on a just course to salvage the majority of people, you do not readily make available arsenals for your political opponents by allowing them to set the pace for you to follow. You should be the pacesetter, set the pace, and dictate the rhythmic pattern of your opponents. Every step of theirs should be remote-controlled by you. This, I urge Nandom NDC to do. It is not too late, for it is better late than never.
There should be dynamism and pragmatism in the approach to political discourse by the NDC in Nandom. If there is, then it needs to be intensified and executed to the latter. There is no doubt that the approach to political discourse is growing and changing in conformity with the contemporary needs and wants of electorates. Anything that falls short of this approach creates room for the electorates to lose confidence in you as a leader despite your good intentions for them. On this note, I call on Nandom NDC to be proactive and practical in its approach to matters of politics. This, in my candid opinion, would yield the desired results the majority of Nandome have long awaited.
Inclusivity is another tool that can be used by Nandom NDC to wrestle power from its political opponents. Anybody who matters in the party should be offered guided opportunities and strategic assistance to operate for the success of the party. Only office holders cannot do the work. Scout non-office holders who are available and ready to do the job to augment the strength of the officeholders for a resounding victory. I urge you to interest yourselves in collective glory rather than individual/self-glory. The former would lead to sustainable victory but the latter would lead to no or short-lived victory. Do well to carry all those who matter along so that the parliamentary seat would return to you.
Humility cannot be overlooked when it comes to matters relating to politics. The leadership of Nandom NDC should be reminded that humility counts and pays in politics. This is not to suggest that humility has eluded the leadership of Nandom NDC. It should be re-echoed that humility is a necessary ingredient needed to win the hearts of the good people of Nandom. In this time of political biases or unfairness exhibited by the current political administration in Nandom, I believe when Nandom NDC puts in place would inure to the political fortunes of the party in the upcoming general elections in 2024.
To conclude, eschew the idea that these days to win political power, tell the electorates what they want to hear and not the actuals. It should be noted that the majority of electorates already know what is on the ground. They only allow your audience to ascertain how truthful you are to them. In this era of clicking a button for information, you do not underestimate the knowledge base of electorates, not even in the remotest part of the country.
Let my concerns not be directed to only NDC in Nandom, but to any constituency on the ticket of NDC that is going through the same fate as that of Nandom NDC.
Be guided by the afore-mentioned and Allah will do the rest.
GOD BLESS OUR HOMELAND, GHANA.
CC:
ALL MEDIA HOUSES
NDC, NANDOM
NDC, UPPER WEST
NDC, NATIONAL.
