Ernest Owusu Bempah, the NPP’s deputy communications director, has accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and former President John Dramani Mahama of political patronage in Assin North Constituency, prior to the Tuesday, June 27 by-election.

He characterized the NDC’s degree of patronage in Assin North as loathsome.

“As a matter of fact, the Assin-North by-election has opened a new chapter in our politics. It is a politics of sharing goodies for a vote. I call it galamsey politics. And the man at the height of this abominable politics is former President John Mahama.
“Truly, the guiding principle for Mahama in Assin-North has been brazen cronyism and snubbing established conventions.”
Ernest Owusu Bempah

According to him, John Mahama is actively involved in the activities at the Kanokrom, Afenase, Obiri Kweku, Camp C, Aworbe, Wawase, and Atentan electoral areas, where he shares fertilizer, sprayers, wellington boots, cash, and even pays household electricity bills.

He asserted that it has frequently been maintained that patronage is acceptable and practiced by all political ideologies. However, he claimed that the political favoritism displayed in Assin-North by former President John Dramani Mahama and the NDC in advance of the June 27 by-elections is despicable.

He claimed that the Assin-North by-election had given Ghanaian politics a fresh start. However, it is not wise to believe anything that is given in an effort to increase voter turnout. He added that former President John Mahama is the one who embodies this form of politics to its fullest extent.

Owusu Bempah asserted that open cronyism and disregard for established norms have served as Mahama’s guiding principles in Assin-North.

NDC Intention To Sway Voters

According to Owusu Bempah, these gifts are being given out on purpose to persuade Assin-North people to support the NDC.

He further said that former President John Dramani Mahama’s sleazy politics are nearly as pointless as deceiving people, which ultimately hurts society as a whole.

“And it is yet another distraction. John Mahama is essentially trying to fool people with freebies and aspirations into thinking that the NDC is the party of the people. How do you square the circle that is a former president who is running for presidential office and engaging in activities totally at variance with our democratic norms?
“The NDC is playing a game of pretending to work for the common cause but it clearly is an utter perversion of godly politics. It is also a throwback to baronial politics of the past – akin to 1933 dubious politics of Adolf Hitler.”
Ernest Owusu-Bempah

The NPP’s Deputy Communications Director claimed that Mahama and his group of “fascist supporters” are repeating the same errors made in the past. He further said that their egregiously unfair and unethical politics have always been at play.

“They crave for media attention, all for showmanship and not much work. But voters care about honesty and integrity in politics. The Assin-North voters know too well that Mahama actually cares very little about their welfare and ain’t moved by his vote-grabbing crumbs throwing antics.”
Ernest Owusu Bempah