"I will not imprison myself in some political ideology' -Sekou Nkrumah

“I will not imprison myself in an ideology that is not working and a party that cannot perform. I will rather support a right wing party which can address the basic needs of this country,” these were the words of Sekou Nkrumah, son of Ghana’s first president, when he took the seat in the studios of e.tv Ghana.

Sekou Nkrumah who honoured an invitation to explain further his decision to exit the ruling NDC and join opposition NPP explained to Awake host, Rashida Nasamu and the viewing public that the leadership of the NDC which is now in government is not performing the way it should.

Sekou, who is known to support the left wing of the Ghanaian politics front joined the NDC sometime in 2008 but broke away because he claimed his continuous stay in the NDC was hampering his progress of the CPP of which his sister is Chairperson.

Another reason he gave for his resignation in the NDC was that his role in the NDC had become somewhat insignificant.

Contrary to what people thought that Sekou would join the campaign train of the CPP of which his father formed, the “confused” man, as some people have called him, turned his back towards his sister to join the NPP.

According to him, it is not wrong to look elsewhere when the “vehicle you are sitting in is broken down.”

He said the NDC has failed as social democrats who claimed their interest was in the majority of the people, thus, his reason to join the NPP.

“If NDC is not performing well and the only other option for me is the NPP, I will support the NPP. I don’t have to become a card bearing member of the NPP because I don’t believe in the philosophy and ideology of the NPP. But I feel that the NPP, if they can provide that leadership through their ideology and philosophy to transform that for the better, then why not?”

Asked whether his decision would not be a betrayal to his father’s legacy, Sekou Nkrumah explained that, “moving from one political party to the other is not a betrayal of my father’s legacy. My father’s legacy was Ghana. He only used the CPP as a vehicle to best serve the interest of Ghana. Once Ghana was his constituency, I’m not betraying Ghana. Moving from one party to the other at a particular time is positioning yourself to best serve the interest of Ghana.”

Throwing more light on his breakaway from the NDC, he explained that  “Clearly the NDC is not doing enough under the leadership of President Mills to really develop this country in the way those of us who joined the NDC in 2007expected from the leadership of President Mills.

“Expectations are that it should be done in a much meaningful and bigger way for people to feel that really there is a genuine commitment from those in power to improve their lot.  Come out with policies that will reflect our aspirations, address our problems and needs and then those policies should be constituted in a way that will tell people that Ghana is in a way moving in that direction of prosperity,” he stated.

He stated that, the ongoing division within the party was due to its poor leadership.

“The problem with the NDC is leadership. There were genuine concerns to change the leadership of the NDC and it didn’t happen. As it stands, their future is not very clear. I think they are going to have to go to opposition to sort out the problems, rediscover itself and direction,” he noted.

According to Sekou Nkrumah, although he might not bring much to the floor of the NPP, he believes his energy and “one vote” can turn the political fortunes around for the NPP.

“I am bringing what I have, which is one vote. I still have energy. The point is, if anybody who wants a change brings one vote and some little effort that can make a difference.”

According to Sekuo, he wants to help the NPP come into power to serve the interest of Ghanaians.

“I want to help the NPP come into power in the interest of Ghanaians so that possibly they perform better and if NDC goes into opposition, there is an opportunity for them to look within and then get the right leadership and chemistry to enable them win elections next time with a leadership that can really address the problems of Ghana from the context of social democratic party.”

Asked if he had a soft spot for the CPP, this is what Sekou Nkrumah had to say: ‘I’ve always said that the CPP which Nkrumah formed in the late 1940’s is obviously not the same as the CPP that we know of today. Nkrumah’s CPP was born out of the struggle for independence.”

He said he was in no way talking his sister into joining one of the leading parties in the country. However, he advised the CPP to improve on parliamentary presentation.

Meanwhile, NDC Chairman, Johnson Asiedu Nketia has downplayed the move by Sekou Nkrumah saying that, his move would not adversely affect the NDC because it is just like an ordinary party member “joining or resigning from the party so I don’t see the noise about it”.

However, Chairman of the NPP, Jake Obetsebi Lamptey has welcomed Dr Sekou Nkrumah into the Party and says the NPP doesn’t mind if Dr Sekou Nkrumah points out certain flaws in the party as he did with his former parties CPP and the NDC.

Jasmine Arku / etvghana.com

Is the move by Dr Kwame Nkrumah’s “prodigal son” likely to affect the political fortunes of the NDC, likewise the NPP?