Sammy Gyamfi, the National Communications Officer for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), asserts that the New Patriotic Party (NPP), which recently won the Kumawu by-election, must be concerned about the huge voter indifference it experienced.
He said that whereas the NPP only experienced a 304-vote rise, the NDC saw a 1,284-vote increase. He added that, despite being one of the NPP’s strongholds in the Ashanti region, the constituency’s voter indifference has slightly decreased.
“What this means in nominal terms is that, after all the unprecedented vote buying we witnessed in Kumawu, the NPP managed to increase their votes by a paltry 304, while about 8,000 voters who voted for the independent candidate from the NPP’s fold in 2020, decided not to vote in the by-election at all (assuming they are real human beings).”
Sammy Gyamfi
Sammy Gyamfi stated on Facebook that the significant voter indifference of the NPP, could potentially affect the 2024 Presidential election results.
“In short, the NDC increased its votes by 1,284 while the NPP increased their votes by only 304. The NPP also suffered very high voter apathy and/or voter turnout. Clearly, our friends in the NPP must be very worried about this alarmingly high voter apathy in Kumawu, which can possibly reflect in the 2024 presidential polls.
“Given the fact that Kumawu is one of the hard-line traditional strongholds of the NPP in the Ashanti Region and given the unprecedented vote buying the NPP and the Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government engaged in the run-up to this Kumawu by-election, the results from the Kumawu by-election is victory for the great NDC. There is however more room for improvement for the NDC.”
Sammy Gyamfi
In the polls for the Kumawu by-election on Tuesday, May 23, Ernest Yaw Anim, the New Patriotic Party’s parliamentary candidate, won.
On May 23, 2023, Mr. Anim won the by-election with 15,264 votes, defeating Kwasi Amankwaa, a candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), and two Kweku Duahs, both independent candidates. While one Kwaku Duah candidate received 2,478 votes and the other received just 62, Kwasi Amankwaa of the NDC received 3,723 votes.
Ablakwa Claims NPP Has Abused Its Position Of Power
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Member of Parliament for North Tongu Constituency, accused the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) of using its position to its advantage in the recently concluded by-election in Kumawu.
He claimed that in order to win the May 23 election, the government undertook egregious vote-buying and overnight development projects.
In a tweet, Mr Ablakwa who served as a polling agent in Kumawu during the Tuesday May 23 byelection said “It’s been an extremely useful experience serving as polling agent in yesterday’s Kumawu by-election. I congratulate the NPP’s Ernest Yaw Anim on his victory and look forward to him joining us in Parliament.
“NDC’s significant gains in the NPP’s stronghold of Kumawu despite the blatant abuse of incumbency manifested by overnight development projects and condemnable vote-buying is both instructive and a cautionary tale to the NPP, particularly as turn-out still dropped by some 7,744 regardless of the avalanche of inducements.
“The Akufo-Addo/Bawumia government must prioritize the needs of Ghanaians at all times and not only when a by-election has been occasioned. May we nourish Ghana’s Democracy with the right values for our collective progress.”
Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa
READ ALSO: Kumawu By-Election: IGP Commends Men For A Peaceful By-Election
