The National Organiser of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has lauded agitation by party youth in Koforidua during a meeting of the Prof Kwesi Botchwey Review Committee Thursday.
Kofi Adams told Evans Mensah on Joy FM’s Top Story programme the clash shows the youth of the party are still active and wants the best for the opposition party.
“I am quite happy [because] it shows the party is very strong and they [youth] are ready to bring the party to power immediately,” he said.
Some NDC foot soldiers in the Eastern Region blocked the entrance of a hotel with logs, stones and motorcycles in their attempt to stop the Regional party executives from attending a meeting with the Kwesi Botchwey Committee.
The Committee is compiling views of the causes of the NDC’s defeat at last year’s election.
The protesters blame the Eastern region executives for the party’s defeat in the 2016 elections. They accused them of embezzling funds meant for campaigns in the Region.
The NDC had targeted to share equally the votes in the Region with the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in a much touted “Agenda 50/50.”
But former President John Mahama, the NDC’s 2016 presidential candidate, polled 36.6 percent of the votes against then opposition candidate Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo who obtained 62.4 percent of total valid votes.
The irate youth demanded the Regional executive be asked out of the meeting because of their failure to deliver victory to the party.
In line with the demands of the youth, the meeting was held with branch executives without the participation of the Regional executive.
The development has been condemned widely by some NDC functionaries who believe the way the youth registered their displeasure was improper.
But Mr Adams, who was key in the party’s attempt to secure re-election for the former President, said there is nothing wrong with what the youth did.
“I am happy that people are interested in this party [NDC] coming to power [and] that is why they have shown the level of enthusiasm,” he said.
He explained the fact-finding Botchwey Committee has been tasked to speak largely to party supporters, hence anyone who might interfere with the activities of the Committee has to be eliminated.
“That is how we want things to be done,” he said about the youth action, adding “we don’t want anybody to interfere.”
