[ 2016-08-26 ]

NPP, NDC in a 'tug of flags' on the Bolga-Navrongo Highway ahead of Akufo-Addo's tour

Clash looms as NPP, NDC engage in ‘flag war’
Signals picked up by Starr News are pointing at
the possibility of a violent clash erupting this
evening among supporters of the opposition New
Patriotic Party (NPP) and the governing National
Democratic Congress (NDC) in Bolgatanga, Upper
East regional capital.

In what can be described as a ‘flag war’ and
a ‘battle for political visibility’, the
region woke up Friday to an unexpected sight of
brand new NDC flags flying on every streetlight
pole on the Bolgatanga-Navrongo Highway and around
every corner ahead of a campaign tour by the
NPP’s presidential candidate, Nana Addo Dankwa
Akufo-Addo, who is expected to arrive at sunset
Friday.

At midday, NPP enthusiasts took to the roads with
a heavy bale of the party’s flags, fresh from
the factory, and pitched them on the same poles
the NDC had hung theirs. The development has drawn
the wrath of NPP supporters across the region with
their regional executives reported to have rushed
to the police headquarters to report.

“We are hosting our flagbearer. You are not
hosting anybody. Why should you do that? All the
constituencies Nana is visiting, they have gone to
hang their flags there. I’m telling you. They
only want us to fight. We will not fight them.
I’ve told my people to accommodate them. We
wrote to the police almost one week now that our
flagbearer is visiting the region. And suddenly,
just yesterday they (the NDC) decided to do
this,” the NPP’s Upper East Regional Chairman,
Murtala Mohammed Ibrahim told Starr News.

We cannot wait for Nana to leave - NDC

When contacted why the flying of the NDC flags
had to coincide with the onset of Akufo-Addo’s
tour of the region, the regional executives of the
NDC said their party had already begun its
campaign and that it would be pointless to
withhold its flags on the grounds of Nana’s
campaign tour.

“I don’t see anything wrong with NDC flying
their flags except that if they had placed their
party flags and NDC had removed them; then, they
have a case. But if it is that because Nana is
coming we should wait so that when Nana is out of
the region, then, we can now fly our own, that is
not how politics is played. We are ruling this
country. It is our duty to ensure that there is
peace and tranquility in this country. And for
that matter, NDC will be the last party to want to
foment trouble.

They are aware that we just launched our campaign
last week and, after launching the campaign, we
are trying to give visibility to our party. So, we
have started our campaign whether the president is
in the region or not, whether our candidate is
there or not. It is not because Nana is coming
that we are flying our flags. We will continue to
fly them until the election is over,” the
NDC’s Upper East Regional Secretary, Donatus
Akamugre, reacted in an interview with Starr News.


Police headquarters cannot be reached

Starr News could not reach the Upper East
Regional Police Commander, DCOP Simon Afeku, on
the telephone before filing this report as he did
not answer his telephone calls.

An SMS notification of a possible violent clash
between the two parties was, however, sent to him
through his contact for the purposes of
reinforcing security presence ahead of
Akufo-Addo’s arrival this evening.

Meanwhile, NPP supporters have been in high
spirits clad in party’s souvenirs amid a general
feeling of the infectious joy on the eve of a big
festival, as they continue to stretch on their
toes for a glimpse at the entry point where the
flagbearer is expected to appear with a convoy.
Vehicles including motorcycles, taxicabs and motor
tricycles can be seen everywhere draped in the
NPP’s banners as young men peal vuvuzelas in the
streets and a number of bikers display
adventurously on the highways.

Nana to tour six NDC strongholds

The presidential candidate is scheduled to take
his campaign tour to six constituencies considered
the strongholds of the NDC in the region.

The constituencies include Bolgatanga Central,
Chiana-Paga, Bongo, Nabdam, Bawku Central and
Garu. The flagbearer, according to the party’s
communications directorate in the region, will
tour the rest of the region’s fifteen
constituencies during the second phase of his
campaign later in the year.

The presidential candidate, who is also booked to
address the Upper East Regional House of Chiefs
Sunday, is expected to end his tour of the region
Monday with rallies in Bawku, Garu and Bongo after
paying courtesy calls on traditional authorities
in the areas.

NPP’s performance in NDC’s strongholds in
2008

The NPP, since 1992, has never represented
Bolgatanga in Ghana’s Parliament. Nana
Akufo-Addo obtained 13,554 (27.28%) votes as
against 30,941 (62.27%) votes polled by the
NDC’s John Evans Atta Mills in Bolgatanga at the
2008 elections. He attracted 9,889 (33.52%) votes
whilst Mills got 17,686 (59.95%) in Bongo.

At Chiana-Paga, Nana garnered 8,270 (30.87%)
votes with Mills gaining 14,887 (55.58%) votes.
The elections at Nabdam saw Akufo-Addo poll 4,655
(42.18%) votes against Mills’ 5,501 (49.84%)
ballots. Bawku Central gave Nana 19,933 (50.49%)
votes and Mills 18,943 (47.99%). Nana attracted
12,564 (37.53%) at Garu-Tempane with Mills
securing 19,477 (58.18%) of the valid votes cast.

The 2008 runoff gave Nana 15,498 (30.24%) votes
in Bolgatanga, 10,047 (34.26%) in Bongo, 8,355
(30.88%) in Chiana-Paga, 4,105 (38.56%) in Nabdam,
18,540 (43.79%) in Bawku Central and 11,881
(35.52%) in Garu-Tempane. Mills won the runoff
with 35,746 (69.76%) votes in Bolgatanga, 19,276
(65.74%) in Bongo, 18,698 (69.12%) in Chiana-Paga,
6,541 (61.44%) in Nabdam, 23,800 (56.21%) in Bawku
Central and 21,572 (64.48%) in Garu-Tempane.

Performance in NDC’s strongholds in 2012

The results of the 2012 presidential election
portray the ‘elephant’ as losing grounds in
the same six strongholds where the ‘umbrella’
has been strongly pitched since 1992.

Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo got 11,027 (22.62%)
votes in Bolgatanga Central against President John
Dramani Mahama’s 35,142 (72.09%). Bongo gave
Nana 9,414 (26.16%) and Mahama 23,185 (64.42%).
The NPP attracted 6,659 (18.98%) ballots in
Chiana-Paga whilst the NDC obtained 25,815
(73.59%) votes.

At Nabdam, Nana gathered 4,719 (36. 47%) votes
with Mahama polling 7,533 (58.21%) votes. The
election in Bawku Central saw the NPP gaining
17,974 (40.17%) votes and the NDC 24,707 (55.22%)
ballots. The NPP polled 6,509 (31.15%) votes at
Garu and the NDC 12,779 (61.16%).

Source - Starrfmonline.com

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