The recent reports of defection by a group of National Democratic Congress (NDC) supporters from the Tain Constituency in the Brong Ahafo Region to the opposition, New Patriotic Party (NPP), has taken an interesting dimension, as the ruling party is accusing the National Organiser of the NPP, Alhaji Moctar Bamba, of orchestrating the story. The NDC says the, defection claim was the handiwork of Alhaji Bamba, who hails from Wenchi which is close to the Tain constituency, in order to boost the sinking popularity of the NPP in the Brong Ahafo Region. According to the NDC, it does not recognise the so-called leading figures of the press conference held last week, including Alidu Seidu, as members of the Boys For Action, Loyalty and Service (BUFALOS). The group further stated that it was not true that the NDC had failed to fulfill a campaign promise made to them, hence their decision to quit the party. Addressing the media in Kumasi last Sunday to refute the publication by The Chronicle, the spokesperson for the BUFALOS, Hamza Abdallah, said its members were completely intact, and that none of them had defected to the NPP. He stated that Alidu Seidu, who claimed that he was the financial secretary to the BUFALOS, was not a recognised member of the group, explaining that all the 27 executives were solidly behind the ruling party, and had no intentions of defecting to the NPP. "We, the 27 executives of BUFAALOS, want to set the records straight that there is no defection, and that never will there be a defection, and as such, we are strongly united and support the NDC; to our compatriots we say, stand firm, these are the dirty works of NPP, led by Moctar Bamba," they noted. The spokesperson of BUFAWS, said Alidu was rather a former financial secretary who deserted the group several years ago, after failing to properly account for some amounts of money left in his care. Hamza alleged that Alidu bad become a mole, and was being manipulated by the NPP National Organiser to score undue advantages, and deceive the public that the NDC was becoming unpopular. According to him, Alhaji Bamba, apparently wanting to justify the promise made during their congress, that he would mobilise the Zongo community for the NPP, had deliberately concocted the defection story. “Moctar Bamba promised during his campaign for the national organiser of the NPP that if he won the election, he would mobilise the Zongo community for the party, and this is what he is trying to do, but we want to tell him that he would fail.” Hamza emphasised. “We are therefore sounding a cautious statement to Bamba and his mischievous moves, that if he thinks he is going to use diabolical and deceptive strategies to win the Zongo community, then he is deceiving himself." it noted. The group therefore pledged its allegiance to the ruling party, stressing, "Tain will never go back to NPP; it is for the NDC, and will continue to be for NDC. We want to assure the supporters of NDC both home and abroad that the BUFALOS are still committed to its cause of action. That is UNITY." Meanwhile, the NPP National Organiser has rebuffed claims by the group that he was behind the reports of the mass defection. Speaking to the paper in a telephone interview, Alhaji Bamba said even though news of the defection was refreshing to the party, he was not behind the move, as was being alleged by the NDC. He indicated that he was not surprised at the decision by the NDC supporters to join the NPP, stressing, “The constituency has always been a stronghold of the NPP, and the people there are loyal to us." According to him, the group members were initially supporters of the NPP, but were deceived by the General Secretary of the NDC, Mr. Asiedu Nketiah, who promised them that they would be given auctioned cars and other incentives, if they helped the NDC win power. "These boys are our boys, they have returned to their roots, and I am going to meet with them over the weekend." he pledged. Source: The Chronicle