Anita Desoso blames Mahama campaign groups for NDC’s loss in 2016

Vice-Chairperson of National Democratic Congress (NDC), Anita Desoso has said the various campaign groups that were formed just before the 2016 general election for former President John Mahama contributed to the NDC’s defeat at last year’s polls.

According to her, while the party structures could not perform to expectation as they lacked resources, the various campaign groups which managed to secure funding, failed to work to deliver victory for the party.

Proliferation of groups

Few months to the December 7, 2016 general election, there was a sudden proliferation of various campaign groups purporting to canvass for votes for the former President who was seeking a second term.

Groups such as Zongo for Mahama, Youth for Mahama, Celebrities for Mahama and a host of others were formed with some political watchers arguing that those groups were largely formed to make money by their leaders rather than do any serious campaign work.

The NDC lost the elections which came to the party as a real shock as it was confident of winning, due to the massive infrastructure development that was witnessed across the country under ex-President Mahama who was then the flag bearer of the party.

Speaking to Kasapa News, Madam Desoso stated that the time had come for party structures to be respected and given the necessary support, adding that never again would such campaign groups be allowed to operate on their own during elections.

“These campaign groups which emerged in the run-up to the December 7, 2016 election contributed to our loss in that election. After these groups were formed, the structures that are known to the party rather suffered as they were denied resources. They couldn’t perform to expectation because they lacked the needed resources. The groups were rather benefiting as they went for funds from certain quarters, and while they were happy, the grass roots were complaining. Some of these groups could go to the Volta Region purporting to be campaigning but went there to speak English instead of the Ewe language, how can you do such a campaign?,” she asked.

“I’ve vowed to make sure that the NDC amends its constitution, whichever group it is should start from the structures…start from the branch level. You don’t sit down for someone to toil and just before an election you come out to form a group. I will campaign against such groups until this ammendment is made in the NDC constitution. We’ve had enough of people wanting to do things their own way without following party structures,” she added.