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A group affiliated to the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the chiefs there of pitching camp with the opposition New Patriotic Party to fight the government.

Social Democratic Forum said in a statement that it has observed that several of the chiefs are working against the chances of the NDC retaining power in the November 7 polls.

“The chiefs in the Volta Region have not helped our cause. Shamefully, they have only been too happy to line up to curry favour with Nana Addo while castigating President Mahama,” the group said in a statement.

Recently, both Nana Akufo-Addo and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, flagbearer of the NPP and running mate, respectively, have visited the region as part of their campaign ahead of the elections. Dr Bawumia, in particular, has visited the region twice in two months, as part of the campaign process.

During Mr Akufo-Addo’s visit, Togbe Atatim IV, Chief of the Mafi Traditional Area said the three-time flagbearer of the NPP was “capable of rising to the occasion and will not disappoint us [People of the Volta region]”, when given the opportunity in this year’s election.

The group noted: “While the NPP propaganda machine goes into overdrive, the Volta NDC has been hamstrung by a farrago of petty squabbles, factionalism, tribalism and delusion. If we are not careful, these tribalistic hateful tendencies will be the death of us.”

The group also noted that tribalism, especially, is making the NDC unpopular in the region.

“If we [NDC members] are honest with ourselves, and as much as we would prefer to sweep the issue under the carpet, the heritage of our party [NDC] has long had a whiff of an anti-Northern undercurrent. Hatred for leaders of Northern extraction by Voltarians is nothing-new beginning with a son of the Volta overthrowing the first elected President of the country who hailed from the North, Dr. Hila Limann of blessed memory. It is little surprising that Voltarians are beginning to be the biggest critic of His Excellency John Dramani Mahama.

“If we are not careful, these tribalistic hateful tendencies will be the death of us.

“It would be naïve to think that the anti-northern hostility within our ranks has gone unnoticed by the inhabitants of the Northern regions, for our supporters in those regions are increasingly growing restive. Should President Mahama lose the forthcoming elections, his critics should forget about entertaining any ideas of a Voltarian coming to rescue what they would no doubt believe is the heart and soul of the party. We would be cast into the electoral wilderness. We are wiser and smarter and would not allow the fate of Dr. Limann to befall President John Mahama,” the statement added.