NDC Sekondi Chairman Denies 350 Defection Report

The Western Regional Chairman of the ruling National Democratic Congress, Nana Toku, on Friday discounted claims by the former NDC Sekondi Constituency Vice Chairman that 350 members of the party have defected to the New Patriotic Party (NPP). According to him, the former Sekondi NDC Vice Chairman, Alhaji Usumanu Mohammed left alone from the party and not 350 Zongo members of the NDC as he claimed. Nana Toku told the GNA in an interview that Alhaji Mohammed left the party for his greedy, selfish and personal interest and not because of the petty wrangling between the ex-President Rawlings and the NDC executives. The NDC Chair noted that Alhaji Mohammed requested that he should be given a KIA Kombo truck being distributed by the Local Enterprise and Skills Development Programme (LESDEP). He added that Alhaji Mohammed also wanted to be given an appointment by the government but upon assessment, he was disqualified hence his resignation from the party in March last year. The NDC Regional Chairman indicated that Alhaji Mohammed had benefited from the NDC government immensely because he was sponsored by the NDC government to perform Hajj in Mecca. Again, Alhaji Mohammed�s son had been given a job through the help of the party. The NDC Regional Chair questioned the essence of Alhaji Mohammed leaving the party because ex-President Rawlings and his wife, Nana Konadu, had not left the party but were still in the party. Nana Toku said despite the defection of Alhaji Mohammed from the NDC to the NPP, a committee had been set up in Sekondi Constituency to bring him (Alhaji Mohammed) back to the party because in politics one person counts. He added that very soon the NDC Sekondi Constituency would come out with a press statement on the alleged 350 members of the party defecting to the NPP. It would be recalled that, Alhaji Osumanu Mohammed on May 15, this month, called a press conference in Sekondi, to announce his defection and 350 others to the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP).