The immediate past National Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Kwabena Adjei has stated the party's defeat in the 2016 general elections did not come as a surprise to him as he knew the New Patriotic Party (NPP) would win.
The NDC and the former President John Mahama got defeated in the December 7 elections in unprecedented fashion, losing by about one million votes in the presidential election to the NPP's Nana Akufo-Addo and about 50 seats in the parliamentary poll.
While many reasons have been assigned for the party's defeat persons including its founder, former President J.J. Rawlings attributed the defeat to the arrogance of power exhibited by the appointees of the Mahama-led administration.
But for Dr Adjei, the NDC lost the elections as result of the of the change of the party which saw him being voted out for current National Chairman Kofi Portuphy.
Speaking in an interview on Starr FM's Starr Chat on Wednesday, Dr Adjei stated that from the moment he was voted out as the chairman, he knew the NDC was going to lose power.
“I wasn’t surprised [the NDC lost]…because when they [delegates] voted me out in Kumasi they voted the party out. It was a done deal [that the NPP will win]. I am not superstitious but I came to the party with my own style…and I had a way of relating to the people.â€
According to him, though the ground was not so fertile for the NDC, former President Mahama's "handlers misled him. They were inexperienced. I will say this anywhere without fear or favour. We are all to blame,â€
"John Mahama did his best but I think he should have listened more to the cry of the people of Ghana", he added.
For him, considering the age of President Akufo-Addo, he comes in with a wealth of experience in Ghana's politics which was very good.
“I’m happy because he comes with a wealth of experience that will help and then a certain respectability from the elder people,† he stated.