Voters in the Ashanti Region have been advised to prioritise the development of the region over their loyalty to the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) as Ghanaians head to the polls next month.

Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Johnson Asiedu Nketia believes the level of development in the region under the NPP is not commensurate with the massive support and loyalty they have shown the party over the years.

“Those of you who keep saying you were born into the NPP so you cannot vote against them must have a re-think because the party has proven over the years that they don’t value your loyalty,” Mr. Nketia said at Afrancho near Akomadan in the Offinso North District.

The National Chairman who was addressing the people of Afrancho as part of his three-day retail campaign in the region, said the essence of elections was to vote for parties to bring development to citizens.

“It is time to depart from voting for a tradition that has left you impoverished and your communities underdeveloped in the last eight years when you have a choice that is people-centered and development-oriented in the NDC,” he noted.

He said it defied logic to see most development projects in communities in the Ashanti Region executed by the NDC, yet the people still kept faith with the NPP.

“Since they know you will remain loyal to them even if they don’t develop your communities, they will continue to take you for granted,” the NDC National Chairman maintained.

Unlike the NDC which is known for even distribution of national resources irrespective of which region votes for them, the NPP believes the Ashanti Region is secured no matter how poor they perform, he told the gathering.

He urged the people to demand projects that would impact the lives of the entire population and resist the money-sharing strategy that they always adopt to woo voters during elections.

“Those monies they share during the election are just a fraction of what they have squandered at the expense of developing your communities,” Mr. Nketia alleged. 

According to him, despite the NDC playing second fiddle to the NPP in the region, they could boast of monumental projects transforming lives across the region, stressing that voters in Ashanti had a perfect chance to restore the party responsible for those projects in December.

He said the region must vote out the NPP for the party to take them seriously after years of neglect and abuse of their loyalty to the party.

The first day of Mr. Nketia's campaign tour took him to eight communities in four constituencies, including Offinso North, Offinso South, Afigya Kwabre North and Afigya Kwabre South.