NPP Northern Region commended for strong showing in 2016 polls
The acting General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Mr John Boadu, has commended the party’s Northern regional constituencies and polling station executive, as well as supporters for the strong showing of the party in the 2016 general election.
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It said in a region perceived to be the stronghold of the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), the strategies put in place by the regional executive from the polling station to the constituency level in the region enabled the party to increase its parliamentary seats from eight in the 2012 election to 13 in the 2016 general election.
He noted that the strategy also saw the party increase its presidential votes to over 70,000 which contributed immensely to its victory.
Commendation
“This feat chalked up by the party in the Northern Region was commendable and all efforts must be made to sustain the momentum and garner more votes for the party in the 2020 general election,” he stated.
Mr Boadu made the commendation at the party’s Northern Regional annual delegate’s conference held in Tamale last Sunday on the theme: “Sustaining Political Power for a Prosperous Future.” It was attended by Ministers of State, Members of Parliament (MPs), Metropolitan, Municipal and District Chief Executives (MMDCEs) in the region and sympathisers of the party.
Internal wrangling
Mr Boadu called on party and executive members to eschew all internal wrangling and complaints and rather work hard to make the party more attractive and appealing to the electorate to enable it to consolidate power in the 2020 general election.
He disclosed that the party was going to institute a party-government relations to enable its regional executives to meet with government functionaries in the region regularly to address all issues affecting the party and members for a harmonious relationship and progress of the party, saying there must be a stronger link between the party and the government machinery.
The general secretary said similar meetings must be held at the constituency level with the MMDCEs to thrash out issues that affected the well-being of members and the party to enable the party to retain power in the next general election.
“The NPP in opposition from 2008 to 2016 has learnt a lot and we cannot afford to repeat the mistakes that sent us out of power,” he stated.
Unity/appreciation
The acting National Chairman of the NPP, Mr Freddie Blay, called for party unity and urged all members of the party to support the government to execute all its campaign pledges for the benefit of the people.
The Northern Regional Chairman, Mr Daniel Bugri Naabu, expressed his appreciation to all regional, constituency and polling station executives, as well as party members in the region, for their contributions towards the victory of the party in the 2016 election and for making a bold statement through the improvement of the party’s electoral fortunes in the region.
“The NDC can no more claim that the Northern Region is their stronghold following the inroads of the party in the region in the 2016 election,” he stated.
Number of parliamentary seats
There are 29 parliamentary seats in the Northern Region of which the NPP currently has 13 seats and the opposition NDC, 16. The NPP increased its parliamentary seats in the region from three to eight in the 2012 general election and from eight to 13 in the 2016 election and hopes to increase it again in 2020.