Former Trade Minister Dr Ekow Spio-Gabrah has revived an old attack against the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP), which he labelled as a tribal party.
He said while the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) accommodates non-Akans, the same could not be said about it arch political rival, the NPP.
Speaking after an NDC press conference to announce its manual registration exercise, Dr Spio-Gabrah said the NPP is purely a tribal entity.
“The [NDC] is a party that has had Presidents from the Volta, Central and Northern Regions [but] this is not the case in the NPP,” he told Joy News’ Joseph Ackah-Blay.
The two parties have a history of trading tribal claims in their attempt to win votes, a ploy that peaked in the lead up to the 2016 general elections.
Spio-Gabrah's comments is a recycled version of the then President John Mahama's call to voters in the three regions of the North to vote for the NDC because it is the only party that allows Northerners to rise to the height of political power.
John Mahama and the NDC General Secretary Asiedu Nketia have all suggested the NPP would reject Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia if he attempts to contest for the presidential candidate of his party because he hails from the North.
Former Finance minister Osafo Maafo was also accused of making ethnocentric comments in a recorded video in which he is said to have argued that only persons from resource-rich regions should become president.
The suggestion was that resource-rich regions are largely Akan dominated areas where NPP has its strongholds. But the leading NPP figure maintained the February 2015 recording was doctored.
Mr Spio-Gabrah tipped to contest for the NDC flagbearer in 2018, said the NPP is more tribal because it has precluded non-Akans from becoming flagbearer of the party.
"The party [NDC] is nationally based but there are some parties which have declared that their leader should not come outside the five Akan regions," he said referring to Osafo Maafo's 2015 comment.
But Deputy General Secretary, Nana Obiri-Boahen has dismissed the claim on Joy FM's Top Story, saying it is "unacceptable and historically incorrect."
"I was expecting him to speak like a mature politician and not a neophyte," he told Evans Mensah host of the programme, adding Dr Spio-Gabrah lowered his standard with his tribal comment.
Political scientist, Dr Bossman Asare said the nature of Ghana's politics makes it possible for people to make statements that are "unacceptable" like what Dr Spio-Gabrah made.
He said the NPP could no longer be described as a tribal party because of its performance in last year's election especially in the three regions of the north.
"The media should be discouraging this kind of discussions," the Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana said.
Source: myjoyonline.com
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Isaac, Spio is not talking about Republican and Democrat. He is stoking tribal sentiments for political advantage. His comment has no good intention so should be addressed with the contempt it deserves. We should learn to appoint people bases on their competency and not their tribe. In fact that could be dangerous. The NPP is dominated by a particular tribe not because they are tribalist but because of who their founder's are and so is the NDC dominated by a particular tribe. Spio loose talk deserves no analysis. Why does NDC always play the tribal card? Are Akans and less human than other tribe? 95% of Ewes vote NDC, that is their democratic right. Stop all this "nan sense" and focus on helping build this country. That is what is important.
Spoi does not have a Ph.D. He is not Dr. spio... he is MR spio. He has a honourary doctor degree and that does not warrant the use of the title DR.
This is the man who said in the 2008 elections that NPP was introducing Senior High School because their leaders were all high on drugs. A man who spent considerable time in the US where all secondary schools are termed high schools. I'm not surprised by his infantile statement. But he should bear in mind that with the introduction of Free SHS the number of illiterates he can convince with such shallow arguments is going to fall drastically. The lecturer is right; the media should stop people from using such arguments to make their case.
I have taking the pain to read all the contributions and none of these contributors had confront the issues Spio raised with, facts. Very embarrassing sometimes because we may come face - to - face with these issues and somehow at that point insults will not help anybody. That is the man's opinion. The question is, is it true or not. And if it is not true, what are the arguments to support it and if it is true what will be the arguments to support. We may learn from all of us. Would you say NPP is a Conservative and a Republican Party and the NDC is a Labour and Democrats. That is what we should be asking ourselves.
I sadly thought Spio was different. But he is just one of those greedy bastards who will use ethnicity to cause hatred for a party. Not so cool at all
The only fine brain I thght was left In the ndc just turn ZOMBIE
EIIIIIIIIIIIII EMMA THINK ABOUT YOUR CORRUPT AND SHAMBOLIC NDC PARTY, WHO ONLY HAVE TALKATIVE TO LEAD THEIR ***barred word*** PARTY.
All this while I thought Spio is an intellectual and matured. Sadly to read these childish words from you Spio. Are u sure you have phd through learning and writing works? U look to cheap in mind. Next time, conduct a research and get the public real facts of political life in Ghana. For President seat, never try bcos you are more than a child in politics.
This cor-rupt, cri-min-als, cruel, incompetent, tribal bigotry people in the ndc never seem to learn! They should check the 2016 elections and see how they lost in almost all the Akan areas, due to their ***barred word*** tribal politicing! Never again should the NDC be allowed to misrule Ghana!
Dr. Spio please open your political lenses wide a bit. During Late Prez Mills' time, you claimed that some Fantes have hijacked your party (NDC) and the government, and now you come up with this. Is it only through tribal lines that you can achieve your political goal of becoming a president? Since 1992, Ghana is gradually maturing in political democracy so try to grow with it.