KEY POINTS
- Ethnic politics could weaken NPP’s national image.
- Religion and ethnic politics risk alienating voters.
- Tanko-Computer urges NPP to focus on competence.
The Deputy Director of Elections and IT for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Tanko-Computer, has warned the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that resorting to ethnic and religious rhetoric in its flagbearer contest risks making the party unattractive to Ghanaians.
Ethnic politics could weaken NPP’s image
Speaking on JoyNews’ Newsfile on Saturday, August 30, Tanko-Computer argued that politics must be based on competence and ideas, not on tribal or religious identity.
“Ethnicity is not good for us in this country. Let’s look at the candidates, what they are bringing to the table, not where they are coming from. It is not good. Some of them have started attacking the established candidate, where he is coming from,” he said.
To illustrate his point, he cited the example of the late President John Evans Atta Mills, who the NDC continued to support through multiple defeats until his eventual victory in 2008. “We brought Prof. Atta Mills from Central Region, a very big political territory. In the 2000 elections, he lost; in 2004, his people did not vote for him. We didn’t stop; we repeated him in 2008, they voted massively for him. So let’s stop this ethnicity thing and look at the strength of the person,” he added.
Ethnic politics makes party unattractive in the north
Tanko-Computer questioned whether the NPP’s rhetoric suggested that candidates from certain regions, particularly the north, would be blocked from ever becoming president under the party’s ticket. “This kind of thing they are doing is making their party look unattractive to the Northerners,” he said.
Punch reported that he furthered cautioned against injecting religion into Ghana’s political contests, describing it as a dangerous road. He cited claims that the Zongo community’s voting patterns in 2024 should disqualify some candidates as a troubling development.
According to him, the NDC has long advised the NPP to avoid divisive politics. “That issue of the Christian-Muslim thing doesn’t work. Let’s stop it. Let’s look at the competence of the people,” he added.
