- The Global info Analytics has once again conducted a survey around the country testing the pulse of the nation which side the pendulum will swing relative to parliamentary elections. While there is a lot to unpack in that study, I will limit my focus today on the Zebilla Constituency.
- From the survey, there is great disaffection of voters for the National Democratic Congress’s candidate for the 2024 poll; Mr Ndebilla Alumire Ebenezer. Mr. Ndebilla won the primaries marginally against his contenders. The defiance of delegates against the ‘establishment candidate’, money among others signalled to political watchers like myself the cracks within the NDC were deeper now than ever.
- It is worthy of note that the veteran lawmaker (Hon. Cletus Apul Avoka) and six-time Member of Parliament for the Zebilla Constituency had honourably announced his retirement from active politics. This meant that for the first time in almost three decades, a new face will be on the ballot paper beside the umbrella symbol. While it is trite that there abound some advantages for this switch, the same argument will fail the validity test if one were to consider the current wobbling and sinking foundation of the NDC in the area.
- If you think I am biassed against the NDC, check the verdict of the Global Info analytics. According to the survey, 73% of the respondents said they were going to vote for the NPP’s candidate. This is even when the NPP has yet to decide on who represents them in the polls. There is a lot to talk about here but let me be direct so I don’t bore you. There are three issues to focus here in appreciating the findings of the survey.
# The NDC has lost its political sheen, hold and hegemony in the constituency.
# The NPP in spite of the temporal upheaval in the economy is winning the popular legitimacy debate in the constituency.
# The NPP’s 2020 candidate is better positioned to recapture the seat from the NDC.
- Amongst the three propositions above, I will only dwell on the third point since that may be controversial for some readers. Let me also say that all my analysis is centred on the Global Info Analytics work. Present me with a different credible work and my analysis will be different.
- Back to my claim; that the NPP’s 2020 candidate (Hon. Frank Fuseini Adongo) is better placed to win back the seat. Hon. Frank has been active and led the NPP in the area since 2012. Indeed, he grew the party remarkably from 2012 to 2016 attracting the attention and praise by the party’s rank and file and political analysts as well as commentators alike. To refresh your memory, the party’s baseline results of 2008 was 10,470. One of the best performances of the party by a political colossus (Hon. Appiah Moses). It was almost a refrain by political analysts that the NPP was incapable and profusely harnessed to win the seat.
Then came to the scene Hon. Frank Fuseini Adongo. He injected into the party the needed energy, attracted the right people relevant to prosecuting the campaign and uniting the party in a manner never witnessed before. In that election, the NPP lost the seat but pulled some 17, 082 votes thus growing the votes by some commendable 5000+ votes.
- Post-election 2012 with all its attendant infractions, the Zebilla result caught the attention of many in wonder and admiration for the then Mr. Adongo.
- In 2016, he was again at the forefront of the party, leading a more united and determined team which resulted in the defeat of the NDC’s longtime MP.
- However, in 2020, the story changed; the party lost the unity of purpose agenda to the personalization of interest and command, lukewarmness among the very fiery stakeholders that bankrolled the campaign and mobilised the youth to lack of internal consensus leading to the party’s defeat.
- If after three years a survey is conducted and the outcome is that a whopping 73% of voters sampled prefer voting for the NPP candidate who is not yet known, it is logical, true and concomitant to every thinkable scientific reasoning that voters were making these responses with the 2020 candidate in mind. It is true that there are two patriots seeking the mandate of the delegates to represent them. However, the Hon. Dr. Kingsley Krugu; a public health expert and the current National Coordinator of the Landscape Restoration and Small-scale Mining is not as well known in the constituency in comparison to Adongo. Adongo has been on the lips of the voters for the past twelve years. His name will certainly come first in any survey.
- Considering that the NPP is upbeat about breaking the 8, the outcome of the survey suggests thus that presenting an already marketed candidate with some personal achievements gives the NPP great advantage against the NDC which has nothing to show either but propaganda and lies.
- In conclusion, the findings of the Global Info Analytics survey shed light on the shifting dynamics within the Zebilla Constituency as the 2024 parliamentary elections approach. The survey reveals a notable decline in the National Democratic Congress’s political influence, while the New Patriotic Party seems to be gaining popular legitimacy despite temporary economic challenges. Notably, the survey suggests that Hon. Frank Fuseini Adongo, the NPP’s candidate in the 2020 election, holds a significant advantage due to his long standing presence, leadership, and positive impact within the constituency. This analysis underscores the potential for Adongo’s established reputation and accomplishments to resonate with voters, positioning him favourably against the NDC’s candidate and their comparatively weaker stance.
Written by Deputy Communications Officer of NPP, Andrew Atariwini
The above represents, entirely, the thoughts of the writer, Andrew Atariwini and not the thoughts of Agreed Best Communication Limited and its subsidiaries.
