Exactly 12:00 midnight on January 7, 2017, the National Democratic Congress’ bumpy journey in opposition started. This journey promises to be very eventful, albeit torrid. Opposition is hell, as some political actors have frankly observed.
The NDC’s opposition journey will not be too different from this realistic observation. Many where those who were in self-denial until the 7th Parliament of the 4th Republic was officially inaugurated which pushed the NDC side of the law making House to the minority side with its lean numbers.
NDC folks who thought the party’s new status as the minority side of the House was a fluke had to come to terms with themselves when Nana Akufo Addo took the presidential oath. This oath should have been taken by John Dramani Mahama – some NDC members would have worryingly been murmuring in their various “hideouts” during the inauguration ceremony.
But such is life. Today you may be in government and enjoy all its trappings but tomorrow the tables may turn and you will find yourself in opposition. That is the case of the NDC. The party has started an opposition journey which only God knows the number of years it will remain there.
The “stubborn” optimists among the NDC have given assurances that the party will return to government in four years. That cannot be discounted. But it could also be that the party may remain in opposition for more than four years depending on several factors.
The NDC’s biggest challenge in opposition is how to unite the various factions. The party now finds itself at the cliff such that the slightest push could spell doom. The NPP will in no doubt take advantage of the “volatile” nature of the party at its present stage.
One of the things most likely to happen in the party’s stay in opposition is that, there are a lot of people who benefitted while the party was in government but will unashamedly start hobnobbing with the government of the day. This is highly expected.
These individuals will be used as decoys to attempt to destabilize the NDC. They will reveal all the party’s strategies to the NPP. Their new found job which they will be rewarded handsomely will be how to foment trouble in the party and cripple it to the advantage of the government of the day.
There are some comrades who never benefitted when the party was in government. Some of them will be approached with juicy packages from government officials to be used as seductive weapons. Some may be attracted to these baits to betray their party. It is not strange! It is part of the game of politics.
There are some NDC bigwigs who enjoyed the fruit of labor of the commoners to the detriment of the perplexed “foot soldiers” will also be on the payroll of government. The government of the day may even threaten some of them with prosecutions in order to get them to betray the party by volunteering the party’s strategies in opposition to them. Those in this category will even do worse things to ensure that the NDC never regroup.
The NDC should not think of having media support to prosecute its agenda in opposition. The party never had that support in government so may never get it while in opposition. Some of the few loyal media guys who associated with the NDC during the opposition days but were neglected when the “food was cooked” may be well treated under this government. The party will lose them too. This paints a picture of how the NDC is going to wallow in opposition.
To the depressing foot-soldiers who are still agonizing as a result of the party’s humiliation at the polls, don’t be surprised with some of the horrible things that will happen in the party going forward. A few of those of you who will remain loyal and faithful to your conscience must also not mortgage the party for pittances. Just remain focus.
The party has been in power for eight years, but some of you actually remained in opposition for all these number of years. You survived it. You never perished. The God that watched over you throughout the difficult times will not forget you. Now that the party is in opposition, some of you will take a step further into “hell”. Do not give up on the party in the face of these difficulties. Remain united and fight. This one too shall pass. Adieu!!!
Join GhanaStar.com to receive daily email alerts of breaking news in Ghana. GhanaStar.com is your source for all Ghana News. Get the latest Ghana news, breaking news, sports, politics, entertainment and more about Ghana, Africa and beyond.