In the latest episode of IMANI’s Sentiment Analysis of political parties and leading candidates, covering the period from June 1 to June 18, 2024, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has maintained its momentum, exhibiting a notable increase in positive sentiment against NDC’s marginal increase in positive sentiment.
According to the report, the New Patriotic Party experienced a significant rise in positive sentiment, climbing to 29.68% from 25.95% last month. This boost contrasts with the National Democratic Congress (NDC), which saw a marginal increase from 22.36% to 23.11%.
“Purely negative sentiment over the period decreased for both party candidates. People who spoke of NPP negatively fell from about 38% to around 31%, showing that events within the period under review triggered fewer negative sentiments. NDC also had their negative sentiments fall albeit by the same margin as the NPP. This led them to an around 24% negative sentiment rate.
Episode 08 of IMANI’s PULSE Report
The report highlighted key activities, public reactions, and social media engagement, providing a comprehensive overview of the current political landscape.
Dr Bawumia’s Campaign Gains Traction
The report further indicated that the Vice President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s extensive campaign tour, especially his visit to the Asantehene during the 25th anniversary of the Asantehene’s coronation, significantly boosted his positive sentiment.
Again, the report noted that the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer engagements with the clergy and other key public figures around June 12 spurred goodwill and a spike in positive social media commentary.
The period according to the report saw a surge in social media posts and news stories, enhancing the ruling party’s visibility and favourable perception.
Kennedy Adjepong’s Endorsement Amplifies NPP’s Buzz
Furthermore, IMANI’s Sentiment Analysis revealed that the Assin Central lawmaker and the Vice President’s closest contender in the ruling party’s presidential race, Honorable Kennedy Ohene Agyapong’s public endorsement of Dr. Bawumia, created a substantial buzz and further elevated positive sentiments for the NPP.
This endorsement according to the report generated widespread goodwill among supporters of the governing New Patriotic Party, contributing to the increased positive sentiment around Dr. Bawumia, the ruling’s flagbearer.
Scandals and Controversies Impact NDC and NPP
For the National Democratic Congress and its flagbearer, former President John Dramani Mahama, the IMANI’s Sentiment Analysis revealed that several scandals in recent days served in their favour as they triggered a lot of negative sentiments against the NPP in favor of Mr Mahama.
The public outcry against the conduct of the Attorney-General, Godfred Dame according to the report also triggered a lot of negative sentiments against Vice President Dr Bawumia and positive sentiments in favour of former President John Dramani Mahama.
“Additionally, the ongoing commentary around the saga of the SSNIT hotels has been favourable for candidate Mahama, as it has exposed more discussion related to ethics and corruption. Finally, issues related to Candidate Mahama’s 24-Hour policy and related commentary have featured prominently, with proponents pushing positive sentiments of the flagship campaign policy while opponents have voiced out negative sentiments”.
Episode 08 of IMANI’s PULSE Report
NPP Leads in Mentions, NDC Leads in Engagement
Moreover, IMANI’s Sentiment Analysis indicated that the New Patriotic Party continues to lead in social media mentions, though the National Democratic Congress sees higher interaction rates on its content.
Notably, the report showed that the New Patriotic Party’s social media activity, particularly on Twitter, appears one-dimensional, with many new accounts posting identical statements.
Meanwhile, the report showed that former President John Dramani Mahama’s social media statement about his legacy, especially the University of Ghana Medical Centre (UGMC) triggered a positive wave of commentary and the popular hashtag #JMLEGACY.
The report notably indicated that the hashtags #JMLegacy and #JMLegacyLivesOn have gained significant traction, with a combined reach of over three million while Mahama’s keyword “Mahama24HourEconomy” achieved over 4.1 million mentions with almost 40% positive sentiment.
For Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the keyword “Bawumia” according to the report reached 665,746 unique social reach, with an impressive 95% positive sentiment.
Nana Kwame Bediako Dominates Independent Discussions
Among other contenders, Nana Kwame Bediako, affectionately known as Cheddar according to the report remains dominant in discussions about independents with his “New Force Movement” commanding growing engagement and positive sentiment around 55%.
Despite his significant social media reach of over 12 million, the report shown that active engagements have declined over the period.
Other contenders, including Alan Kyerematen of the Butterfly Movement, the People’s National Convention (PNC), the Convention People’s Party (CPP), Hassan Ayariga of the All People’s Congress, and the Progressive People’s Party (PPP), have not garnered measurable traction during the period under review.
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