The Northern Regional Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Halid Abdul-Rauf, has revealed that bitter internal wrangling cost the party 14 parliamentary seats in the Northern Region.
The New Patriotic Party in the just ended general elections won 14 seats out of the 21 seats in the region.
The Northern Region is one of the strongholds of the NDC but since 2008, the NPP has made impressive gains in the region, especially at the parliamentary front.
For instance, in 2008, the party won only 3 seats. Then in 2012, won 7 more seats to send its tally to 10.
Mr Abdul-Rauf in an interview with Joy FM claimed that deep-seated divisions cost the party some seats they could have won with ease, citing the Nalerigu seat.
“I can stand on my authority and put on record that six of our seats were snatched by our way by NPP simple because it was the contributory factor of our own, to the extent that you have to involve the National [Executive Committee], Regional Council of elders to talk to those who decided to go independent and they still remained adamant,” he said.
He also noted that some District Chief Executive Officers and Municipal Metropolitan Chief Executives worked against the party’s parliamentary candidates.
He also said some of these divisions were brought to the attention’s National Executives but little was done to resolve the matter.
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