Alhaji Collins Dauda, Member of Parliament (MP) for Asutifi South Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region, who was criticised for engaging in tribal politics ahead of the 2016 elections, has once again appealed to people of northern descent not to associate with the New Patriotic Party (NPP) since the party dislikes the progress of indigenes of northern Ghana.
According to him, indigenes of northern Ghana who associate with NPP in the Asutifi South Constituency have no chance of making progress in the political arena as the party would not give them the opportunity.
Addressing National Democratic Congress (NDC) party members, he alleged that no indigene of northern Ghana in Asutifi South Constituency would ever be given the opportunity to become an MP on the ticket of NPP, claiming that that is the official position of the NPP in the constituency.
He stated that the NPP took the decision on grounds that he (Collins Dauda), an indigene of the north, has represented the constituency in parliament all this while and, therefore, another indigene of the north should not be made to represent the constituency in parliament.
Collins Dauda claimed that children of indigenes of northern Ghana who are members of the NPP who would join the party after school would not be given the chance to represent the constituency in parliament.
One of the NPP aspiring parliamentary candidates, on a radio programme, asked voters not to vote for Collins Dauda.
Collins Dauda alleged that the said NPP candidate stated that the NPP has in past elections done everything possible to dethrone him without success.
The MP stated that the NDC does not practice such discriminatory policies, and welcomes all groups of people.
2016 Tribal politics by Collins Dauda
During the 2016 campaign, Collins Dauda incurred the wrath of the NPP for asserting they will discriminate against Muslims when they win power.
“People from the UP (United Party) tradition are not our friends, and [as] such we should not be in bed with them.
“They are people the Zongo community cannot rely on… They are like lions; no matter what, they will not have good intentions for us,” Alhaji Dauda said while addressing NDC supporters in the Eastern Region.
Collins Dauda said, “These are same people who are begging for votes from the Zongo community. We should be very careful of these people.
“They treated our ancestors as aliens, and today they are pretending to be our friends,” he said.