Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, a senior member of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has challenged why the party’s MPs and members frequently apologize to the Ashanti Region for perceived underperformance during their eight-year tenure under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
In a recent remarks, Otchere-Darko dismissed claims that the NPP disappointed the people of Ashanti, insisting instead that the party delivered what the region needed.
Addressing party members, he said, “I have heard some say the NPP let Ashantis down because of inadequate road infrastructure, particularly flyovers. But in meetings with MPs from Ashanti, it was clear that what the people want are improvements to their community roads, not flyovers.”
He emphasized the importance of responding to the people’s actual needs rather than assumptions.
“In politics, you are supposed to give people what they say they want, not what you think they want. The community roads were the priority, and when you consider the number of roads constructed in Ashanti per capita, it is unfair to say the NPP let the region down,” he stated firmly.
Otchere-Darko expressed concern over some NPP members publicly apologizing for allegedly neglecting Ashanti, warning that such attitudes could hinder the party’s prospects ahead of the 2028 elections.
“Yet, an NPP member was apologizing for disappointing Ashantis and neglecting Ashantis. Now, if you want to win in 2028 and this is your attitude admitting you didn’t do it,
“There is a difference between humility and knocking yourself down. You can show humility and let the people know that, yes, they expected more from us, but we are sorry we couldn’t deliver everything they expected. Politics, however, is a competitive, comparative game, and accepting negative propaganda weakens your position,” he said
Highlighting the party’s achievements despite challenges, he added, “You must be bolder in defending what you did. You must be humble in accepting where you fell short. All right? And you must have the confidence to say, look, in spite of this and that, I can tell you, I built more roads than any government that has spent the same amount of time in office. I can tell you that I did more for health, more for education, more for the military, more for the police, and more for many other areas. You can see all that because the facts are there. The facts are clear.”
Otchere-Darko questioned the readiness of party members who demean their own record to contest in 2028.
“If you repeatedly blame yourself and admit failure, how do you convince Ghanaians that this is the best chance to win? Are you scared to stand firm on your record?”
Source: www.Kumasimail/Kwadwo Owusu
