Former Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Dr Obed Yao Asamoah, has called on the party’s 2020 flagbearer, John Mahama, to turn his attention to the Volta Region to win the 2024 presidential elections.

He said it is imperative that the former President “puts his house in order to give him the strength to be able to win easily and massively.”

In an interview with JoyNews’ Benjamin Akakpo, Dr Yao Asamoah noted that should Mr Mahama run against Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on the ticket of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), the NDC could find it difficult to win the next election.

“Let’s take the Savannah region. The NPP and NDC have equal strength. In the case of the Northern Region itself, I think the NPP has an urge. Then you have Bawumia in the East, Walewale area. He will have a considerable influence.”

Dr Yao Asamoah, therefore, said “he (Mahama) needs to make some amends to people of the Volta Region.”

The former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice argued that Mr John Mahama was unable to generate massive votes in the 2020 general elections as his predecessors did.

He believes the failure of Voltarians to come out in their numbers to vote for the NDC is because the party’s former administration failed to focus on the development of the region.

“Volta Region is supposed to be the World Bank of the NDC. What exactly did Mahama do for the Volta Region? Remember the last election, he didn’t get the kind of votes Jerry and others were getting – the 80/90 per cent. They lost a seat in Hohoe. He’s got some homework to do.”

According to Dr Yao Asamoah, although Dr Bawumia has not been identified as the individual to lead the governing party in the 2024 elections, he opines that “he (Dr Bawumia) is an attractive candidate for them because he is number 2 to Nana Akufo-Addo.”

On the other hand, he noted that should the NPP decide to go for Trade Minister, Alan Kyerematen, that could also spell doom for the opposition party as it may not be able to garner enough votes in the Central Region.

“Alan Kyerematen is a factor to consider. He could win. If he does, it poses a threat to the NDC in the Central region. Because his mother’s side is from Central Region.”

He explained that this is because the running mate to John Mahama in the 2020 elections, Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, could not make any impact for the NDC in the Central Region.

“The lady who is a running mate to Mahama lost the Central Region in the last election. Lost a whole constituency.

So it means there has to be some fresh thinking. There could be some amends we make to make her succeed. But for now, she didn’t make an impact.”

Dr Yao Asamoah revealed that the NDC made substantial gains in the capital citing Accra as one of thi8 the Accra as one.

“The reason they made the progress was first of all in the case of Greater Accra, there was a rift between the government and spare parts dealers. They thought that the taxation against them was too much. A lot of them supported the NDC.”

“We were prepared to allow Okada. That was also a significant factor against the NPP,” he added.