According to Mussa Dankwah, Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, a July 2024 national poll revealed a divergence of opinions among voters regarding the leading candidates’ capacity to effectively manage the economic crisis.
Dankwah indicated that the results showed a significant lead for John Mahama, with 44% of voters expressing confidence in his competence, followed by Mahamudu Bawumia (35%) and Alan Kyeremanten (6%).
He also pointed out that a significant 15% of voters expressed a lack of confidence in all the leading candidates, indicating that they do not believe any of them are capable of effectively managing the crisis.
“17% of NPP voters don’t believe Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has the competence, experience, and track record to deal with our present challenges. 6% of NDC voters don’t believe John Dramani Mahama has the competence, experience, and track record to deal with our present challenges”.
Mussa Dankwah
Dankwah attributed the higher level of distrust towards Dr. Bawumia within the NPP, compared to Mahama within the NDC, to the fact that Mahama received an overwhelming 98% support from NDC delegates, whereas Dr. Bawumia garnered only 61% from NPP delegates.
This disparity, he stated, suggests that some NPP voters, who are dissatisfied with Dr. Bawumia, are looking to alternative leaders like Alan Kyerematen and Nana Kwame Bediako to address the country’s challenges.
According to the pollster, a segment of NPP voters still hold Kennedy Agyapong in high regard and are currently undecided or considering casting their votes for opposition candidates.
These voters, he pointed out, are potentially leaning towards alternatives like John Mahama, Alan Kyerematen, Nana Bediako, or even the GUM, rather than supporting their party’s candidates.
Dankwah asserted that a poll conducted among delegates would reveal a significant number of them do not support Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, and this sentiment is likely to be even more pronounced among the broader base of ordinary NPP voters.
“Anyway, vindication lies in the womb of time, December 7th”. – Mussa Dankwah
Poll Shows Significant Gap Between Mahama and Bawumia
Mussa Dankwah noted that the poll results, which showed John Dramani Mahama leading at 51.1% and Dr. Bawumia trailing at 38.2%, indicate a significant gap in voter preference.
However, he suggested that this lead may not necessarily translate to a belief in Mahama’s or Bawumia’s ability to solve the country’s problems, implying that some voters may be choosing them by default rather than out of conviction.
“When the data is further analyzed on party lines, the poll shows that among those who say they are NPP, 8% believe that JDM can do a better job, while 83% believe Dr. Bawumia, 3% believe it is Alan and 6% don’t believe any of the candidates what it takes”.
Mussa Dankwah
Dankwah also revealed that among NDC voters, there is a strong consensus, with 94% expressing support for John Mahama, while a tiny fraction opted for alternative candidates: 3% for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, 1% for Alan Kyerematen, and 3% who do not believe in any of the mentioned candidates.
The pollster pointed out that among floating voters, who are yet to make up their minds, the poll shows a notable split.
He indicated that 44% lean towards John Mahama, 18% are inclined towards Dr. Bawumia, 10% favor Alan Kyerematen, and a significant 28% remain undecided, expressing no confidence in any of the mentioned candidates.
Mussa Dankwah observed that the data suggests a sense of resignation among some voters, who, despite being dissatisfied with the available options, will still cast their ballots for the lesser of evils, rather than opting out of the electoral process altogether.
As such, he emphasized that the state of the economy will be the dominant issue in the upcoming December 7th election, given the country’s current economic challenges and the significant impact they have on voters’ lives.
READ ALSO: Polish Students Released After Detention in Nigeria
