A prominent NDC foot soldier and Asawasi Constituency Executive member, Murtala Mohammed (Prince Akuter) has defected to the New Patriotic Party, NPP in a smart move likely to shock the leadership of the largest opposition party.
Prince Akuter’s defection has come at a time the December election is barely three months away with the NDC still struggling to find a suitable message to compare with the numerous slogans the NPP has to its advantage.
The long serving NDC activists was in the studios of Wontumi TV and Radio on Friday to confirm his defection move which he had earlier announced at a media interactive programme on Thursday.
He said his motive was influenced by the deep interest the NPP has shown in the affairs and development of the Zongo communities across the length and breadth of the country since the NPP came to power, unlike the NDC.
“I’m more concerned about the progress of my community but the NDC has become a party which focuses just on one person at Asawasi – the sitting MP Muntaka Mubarak.” Prince Akuter told Oheneba Nana Asiedu who hosted him on the early morning show on Wontumi TV/Radio.
“Under the NP government we now have the Zongo Development Fund, special incentive packages for Arabic teachers to go about their activities, the provision of astro turf for Zongo youth as well as the numerous interventions by the government for which Zongo residents have been among the greatest beneficiarie.s” He noited.
According to Prince Akuter at the peak of the COVID-19 outbreak when the lockdown was imposed in Greater Kumasi and other areas , the generosity extended by some prominent members of the government to the vulnerable in the Zongo communities in Kumasi overwhelmed him;
Prince Akuter who traced his political ancestry roots to the UP tradition revealed that his great grand father was an active member of the UP but suffered the penalty of deportation to Burkina Faso for his allegiance to the then opposition party.
“I’m back home because all my descendants and most of the current close family members belong to the NPP so my defection is simply a home coming mission.”
The popular Zongo resident whose father is the head of the Moshie community in Kumasi said he would use his influence over the youth to lure them to also join the NPP.
Prince Akuter who is an expert in mobilizing Zongo youth for football tournaments and the organization of other sporting events expressed gratitude to the government for constructing Astro Turfs across the country especially, in the Zongo communities.
“Zongo youth have an incurable passion for football and I am the only one who has for the past 23 years been organizing successful inter-Zongo zonal football tournaments.” He boasted.
According to Prince Akuter, through his superb exceptional skills in football organisation all the tournaments he has organized have been violent-free.
“Throughout the long period of organizing the tournaments, neither the police nor the soldier has been around to provide security. All the tournaments I have organized have ended successfully.” He said.
Prince Akuter’s cross over act is very likely to weaken the deep foundation of the NDC at Asawasi., He told Oheneba Nana Asiedu, who interviewed him that he will encourage as man y youth as possible to also join the ruling party.
He gave a hint to that he will use the next inter-zonal popular football tournament to do a massive campaign in favour of the NPP.
“The NPP is gradually making in road into the Muslim communities and I have no doubt that very soon the dominance of the NDC in the Zongos will cease. At least I expect the percentage gap to be bridged to become 50-50 by the next four years.”
