Mussa Dankwah, Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, has revealed that recent polls in the Ashanti and Western regions showed a decline in first-time voters affiliating with the NPP.
Dankwah noted that in contrast, the polls indicated a higher number of first-time voters identifying with the NDC and floating voters.
He indicated a growing trend of voters shying away from party allegiance, with an increasing proportion preferring to identify as floating voters rather than supporting either the NPP or NDC.
“There is so much data to chew on from the polls we have been publishing but there is a trend that no one has commented on for months. It will be curious for demographers to tell us the implications of these trends”.
“In the Ashanti region, overall, 56% of voters self-identified themselves as NPP, 24% as NDC, 12% as floating voters, 1% other parties and 6% did not disclose their party affiliations”.
Mussa Dankwah
Dankwah observed that, upon closer examination of the data, a notable discrepancy emerges among first-time voters, with only 53% identifying as NPP supporters – a 4% decrease compared to older voters and a 3% decrease compared to the overall average.
He noted that, in contrast, the NDC’s support among first-time voters stands at 27%, marking a 3% increase compared to older voters and a 3% rise above the regional overall average.
The pollster revealed that first-time voters account for 15% of floating voters, a 4% increase compared to older voters and a 3% rise above the overall number of floating voters in the region.
Dankwah added that a similar trend emerges in the Western region, where the narrative remains consistent.
He noted that the breakdown of party affiliations shows NDC and NPP tied at 22% each while floating voters make up 38%, other parties account for 6%, and 11% of respondents chose not to disclose their party affiliations.
First-Time Voters Favor NDC In Western Region
Furthermore, Mussa Dankwah noted that, in contrast to the overall trend, first-time voters show a lower affinity for NPP, with only 18% supporting the party, representing a 4% decrease from the Western regional average and a 6% gap compared to older voters.
Dankwah noted that the NDC sees a higher proportion of support from first-time voters, with 25% affiliating with the party, marking a 3% increase above the regional overall and a 4% rise compared to older voters.
“Floating voters represent 38% of the overall sample, however, in the case of first-time voters, they represent the majority with 44%, 6% higher than the overall and 8% higher than the older floating voters”.
“The NPP must watch this data carefully, if the trend continues, it could be in trouble in the future”.
Mussa Dankwah
Dankwah further revealed that in the traditional NPP strongholds of Essikado-Ketan, Effia, Kwemintsim, Sekondi, and Takoradi, voters are expressing skepticism towards both the NPP and NDC manifestoes.
This skepticism, he indicated, suggests that voters in these areas are uncertain about which parties’ manifestoes is truly credible.
The pollster observed that nearly half of the voters, 45%, expressed no opinion or remained ambivalent about the manifestoes’ credibility, suggesting a widespread uncertainty or indifference among the electorate.
“However, 30% believe the NDC manifesto is more credible compared to 22% for NPP’s and 3% say it is M4C’s manifesto (GTP)”. – Mussa Dankwah
Dankwah revealed that the Takoradi constituency shows the strongest support for a manifesto, with a significant 61% of voters deeming the NDC’s “Resetting Ghana, Jobs, Accountability, Prosperity” as the most credible.
He noted that by comparison, a significantly smaller proportion of voters – just 11% – in the same Takoradi constituency view the NPP’s “Bold Solutions for Jobs and Business” as a trustworthy and attainable vision.
READ ALSO: GSE Sees Strong Start to Week with 1.37 Million Shares Traded: GCB and BOPP Show Gains
