Lessons from the Ejisu Bye-Election

The results of the bye-election conducted in Ejisu, Ashanti, last week Tuesday, did not reflect the pre-elections disposition of the constituents, there. The NPP we all saw on social media being driven out from community to community, rather won the election and the independent candidate, Aduomi, who was hailed as king, lost.

After the final count, the results showed that the NPP still lords it over the hearts and minds of Ejisuman, with the party’s candidate, Kwabena Boateng, winning with 27,782 votes or 56%, while his close contender, Kwabena Owusu Aduomi, formerly of the NPP, had 21,534 votes or 46%.

There is a lesson to learn from Ejisu:

Looking at the historical data of parliamentary elections in Ejisu since 1996, last Tuesday, was the first time, the New Patriotic Party secured under seventy percentage of the valid votes cast. Recordingan average of 80.3% over seven elections, the NPP’s lowest percentage was 76%, in 1996 and the highest was 84%, in 2016.

The NDC sensibly avoiding an embarrassment, tactfully withdrew from the bye-election.

Only 49,790 voters or 46.74%, assuming there were no spoilt ballots, of the 106,816 registered, cast their votes, meaning 56,886 stayed away. And that is expected of bye-elections. Butfor the NPP tosecure only 56%, the lowest ever, with an independent candidate securing 43%, the highest ever for someone contesting the NPP in Ejisu, calls for deep thinking.

Let us take a look at two bye-elections in NPP strongholds in Ashanti, namely Offinso South bye-elections in October, 2006 and Kumawu in May, 2023.

In the 2006 Offinso-South bye-elections, Dr. OwusuAchawDuah of the NPP, secured 65.52% of the 31,690 valid votes cast to win the seat, and in the recent Kumawu bye-elections, also in Ashanti, the NPP candidate, Ernest Yaw Anim, secured 70.91% of the 21,527 votes cast.

So, what happened to the NPP in Ejisu? Could be about the candidate or the Party? In election history of Offinso-South, it comes clearly that Asantes can vote against the NPP candidate if they do not like him. The 2020 parliamentary results in Fomena, also clearly displayed this.

A look at Offinso-South 2000 and 2004. In 2000, Kwabena Sarfo of the NPP secured over 71% of the votes to win the seat, with President Kufuor securing 72.73%. In 2004, he contested and got re-elected but with 51.9% of the valid votes cast, with President Kufuor securing 69.54%. Take note here, a break-away member of the NPP, Joseph Akwasi-Kumah run independent and secured 16.30%. If his votes were added to Sarfo, the MP would have secured 68.10% and be very close to Kufuor.

In 2016, Andrew Amoako Asiamah of the NPP secured the seat with 72.7% of valid votes cast to become MP. In 2020, he was rejected at the party’s primary and had good reasons to stand independent. He secured almost 49% of the votes to retain the seat, with Philip Ofori-Asante of the NPP securing 41% of the votes.

The above demonstrates clearly that in Ejisu, either a lot of people rejected the NPP candidate or they have rejected the party.

If it is rejection of the party, then a lot need to be done. Because if such results resonate in the Ashanti region’s presidential elections, then there is going to be problems for NPP’s Candidate Bawumia.

I share the concerns of Chairman Steve Ntim and agree with him that broken bridges must be mended and it must start now.

The NPP took things for granted and incited Alan Kyerematen out of the party and he is now seriously contesting the presidency.

The NPP earlier announced that all those following Alan were still members of the party, only to come back to dismiss key members of the NPP who were on Alan’s side.Then the war of words begun, with both sides throwing verbal missiles at each other.

The Ejisu bye-election is a call fora truss. The NPP must extend hands of friendship to Alan and his Movement for Change, orit may have to kiss the presidency and parliament good-bye.

The lesson from last Tuesday is that if care is not taken, there could be a repetition of the events of 1978/79 where the UP Tradition first broke up and when a run-off became necessary, the William Ofori-Atta led UNC, decided not to re-join their siblingsin the Victor Owusu led PFP butrather backed the Limann led PNP to win the presidential run-off.

I am not suggesting that Alan should be wooed back into NPP,what I am saying is that both sides should know there is the same UP blood flowing in them, and they still belong to the UP family and should see themselves as one, though on different paths.

Come December 2024, should there be a run-off between NDC and Alan or between NDC and NPP, which side will NPP or Alan support? If both decide to support the NDC and repeat 1979, how will both fare politically in opposition?

I support Steve Ntim when he indicated that the NPP should go after Aduomi and not wait for him to come. I will suggest, the NPP, on one side and Alan and his MFC, on the other,shouldfoster unity, but run separately.

Ejisu bye-election has taught both sides, especially the NPP, that they will need each other come December 2024.

Hon. Daniel Dugan

Editor’s note: Views expressed in this article do not represent that of The Chronicle

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