Asiedu Nketia, the General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has indicated that gerrymandering played a factor in the loss of the Hohoe Constituency seat in the Volta Region.
He emphasized that, despite their best efforts, the cutting away of the Guan enclave from the Hohoe Constituency was unavoidable.
"The assumption by members and supporters of the party that the NDC will always win political votes in the Volta Region is a challenge," Mr Nketia cautioned. "There is a need for the party's members, supporters, sympathisers, well-wishers, and faithful to look at the new Hohoe Constituency without Guan and begin to strategize to win the seat back."
Speaking to NDC Branch Executives in Hohoe as part of activities to mark the party's 30th anniversary, he lamented that complacency was the party's biggest enemy, with members and supporters believing that whatever happened was to win Volta Region because it is the party's stronghold and that they must win at all costs, which left everyone disappointed but not surprised when the party lost the parliamentary seat in the Hohoe constituency.
The event was also utilized to inform and educate them on the party's membership registration procedures.
Mr Nketia stated that the party had opted to do decision-guided research in the region, particularly in the Hohoe seat, in order to win the general election in 2024 since the New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration was focused on that goal.
severing the NDC's power base in the Volta Area by making measures like dividing the region into Oti.
"The formation of Oti Area benefited the NDC since it was the only region where all parliamentary seats were won," Mr Nketia remarked.
The NDC's National Chairman, Ofosu Ampofo, stated that if the Hohoe seat had been won, the national narrative would have been different, and that the party's leadership was proud of members and supporters in Hohoe who stood firm against all odds and voted for the NDC, describing them as true heroes of the party.
"All members, supporters, sympathizers, well-wishers, and loyal must come together to reconcile with one other."
He pleaded with them to "see themselves as one people with a common agenda."
Della Sowah, the Member of Parliament (MP) for Kpando Seat in the Volta Region, stated that the 2024 elections in the Hohoe constituency should not be taken lightly and that hard effort should begin now rather than waiting until it was too late.
The NDC's Volta Regional Chairman, Henry Ametefe, stated that under parliamentary democracy, a member and supporter of a party must die for that party.
The NDC's Hohoe Constituency Chairman, Anni Bansah, has asked the party's national leadership to include steps to guarantee the party's votes in the constituency are preserved ahead of the 2024 elections. -GNA