Apathy, not support-switch reduced Volta NDC votes in 2016 - Segbefia

Mr. Alex Segbefia, Health Minister in the erstwhile National Democratic Congress (NDC) Government, has blamed the party’s seemingly dwindling election fortunes in its Volta Region, particularly in the 2016 polls, on voter apathy.

He insisted the lower votes had nothing to do with electorate support switch.

Mr. Segbefia was speaking in an interview with the GNA at Dzodze during the Ketu North Constituency NDC delegates’ congress; to elect new executives.

The former Deputy Chief of Staff said it appeared voters there believed the opponent’s propaganda of being marginalised and neglected, but stated they had come over that deception, to make the NDC stronger there than in 2016.

“Volta remains a stronghold of the NDC as shown at our recent Aflao unity walk, and also the level of zeal at the congress here today, indicates the yearning by all to drive the party back to power in 2020”, he said.

Mr Segbefia said the voter apathy has been banished and everybody was yearning for 2020 to correct the voting mistakes across the entire country.

He said issues of jostling and struggles for position and power, which previously created problems, disunities and defections, weakening the party-front and fortunes in some areas were significantly gone.

Mr. Segbefia predicted the ruling New Patriotic Party – NPP would also be facing a “huge voter apathy in its Akan speaking Ashanti and Eastern Region strongholds in 2020 polls in view of their massive failure in meeting the “skyrocketing campaign promises”.

“Their poll fortunes will go down in Ashanti and Eastern more than ours in 2016 because they have failed them”, he said.

Mr Segbefia said the party’s Ideological Institute was functional and its courses were well-patronised.

He said the party was still promoting its principles of Social Democracy and the general focus of the party was to groom the young ones on its history and goals.

Mr Segbefia said the Institute was serving its purpose of espousing its principles and ideologies, which was more beneficial to the people than the Property Owning Ideology of its main opponents, the NPP.

He said it was fortunate the country had graduated from personality politics into ideological politics.

Mr. Segbefia said the NDC had good prospects in the 2020 polls in view of the clear under performance of the NPP regime.

“Ghanaians are frustrated with the widespread poverty, as a result of the failure of Government in meeting its promises and needs of the people, providing the yearning for an alternate regime by the NDC,” he stated, dismissing the government’s touting of success as commonplace.

Mr. Segbefia said the NDC would be a more listening government, going along with the people.