The General Secretary of the governing New Patriotic Party, John Boadu, has said that introducing developmental projects in various constituencies may not be enough to propel a party to victory in elections.
He said the project must serve the present interest of the people to win the votes of residents.
According to him, the NPP lost several parliamentary seats in the 2020 general elections because some developmental projects the government introduced in the country did not serve the right purpose.
“Winning an election is not only about the development you bring to the people. Sometimes even the development itself may be the reason why you lose the election,” he stated.
“For instance, Evalue-Ajomoro-Gwira, we had a sea-defence project, and the people thought the NPP was wicked because they thought the rocks thrown into the sea could build them roads. Look at the investment that went in there, and that investment was the reason why we lost. They wanted roads, and they didn’t see the need to block the sea from taking over the land. So sometimes, a major decision by the government which in itself is to help the overall goal and benefit of the people [could be detrimental],” he stressed.
Mr Boadu, who is seeking re-election, added that even though the Party paid dearly for its decisions in the 2020 elections, it was for the general good of the citizenry.
“For example, with the president’s decision to clamp down on illegal mining, the overall effect is good, but in all those areas that the task force implemented this decision to the letter, we lost them all because that is the livelihood of the people. So even though we lost, the effect of those decisions is for the greater good of the people, and the effect is that we have a system working,” he told TV3 in an interview.
Barring any schedule change, the NPP will hold its National Executive Elections in Accra from July 15 to July 17, 2022, to elect officers to run the affairs of the Party in the next four years.
Per the Party’s constitution, the presidential candidate for the 2024 elections will be elected next year – a year before the general election.