The New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) have congratulated all the aspiring parliamentary candidates of the NDC who were successful in their bid to represent the party in the various constituencies for Election 2020.
The NDC, last Saturday, held primaries in 157 constituencies across the country that saw about 524 aspirants staking their bid to lead in the 157 constituencies.
A statement issued by the General Secretary of the NPP, Mr John Boadu, said the party was pleased about the exercise which was largely smooth.
“The NPP is pleased to congratulate all the aspiring parliamentary candidates of the NDC who were successful in their bid to represent the party as parliamentary candidates in the various constituencies of the country for Election 2020.
The NPP equally congratulates the opposition party for a largely “smooth exercise”, the statement said.
Rally behind winners
Likewise, the NDC, in an interview with the media by its National Chairman, Mr Samuel Ofosu Ampofo, congratulated all who took part in the primaries and urged those who failed to make it to rally behind the winners since the victory in the 2020 general election would ultimately go to the party.
Mr Ofosu Ampofo explained that as a voter himself at the Tema West Constituency, he went to Tema not to only cast his ballot but to observe the process and also have a pep talk with the candidates.
He described the election at the centre as peaceful and orderly.
“There is only one winner at the end of every contest, so the winner must win magnanimously and the losers must accept it in good faith and support the winner,” he stressed.
He said the NDC had only one enemy and that was the NPP, adding that there was the need to put together a united front after the exercise so as to work and capture power from the NPP.
He expressed content with the enthusiasm with which the delegates came to exercise their franchise, noting that nobody was coerced.
Violence and opulence
The NPP, however, said it was appalled and condemned in no uncertain terms some acts of violence and intimidation that characterised the primaries in some parts of the country.
It said it was also worrying that there were displays of opulence and profligacy in some of the constituencies, coupled with some violent acts.
According to the NPP, for a political party that prided itself as a credible alternative to the governing NPP, those worrying developments should be a major cause for concern.
It was the hope of the NPP that the 2020 electioneering would not see any ugly occurrences.
As a party that had committed itself to running a peaceful, clean, decent campaign and adhering to the democratic principles of engagement, the NPP said, “We are calling on the NDC to also make these commitments for the love of God and country.”
The NPP statement added that with the laudable achievements of the government in all sectors of the economy and in every constituency of the country, the NPP was confident that regardless of the persons elected or selected as the NDC’s parliamentary candidates, the Ghanaian people would not only retain the government but also vote to maintain the party’s overwhelming majority in Parliament.
