By Yussif Ibrahim
Juaso (Ash), Nov. 27, GNA – As the highly anticipated 2024 general elections enters the homestretch, one key battle in the parliamentary race is the Asante-Akim South Constituency in the Ashanti Region.
Over 76,000 registered voters in the constituency are set to vote in 168 polling stations to elect their next Member of Parliament (MP).
Having been held by the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) since 1996, the seat is seen as a safe seat for the ruling party which is poised to maintain the status quo.
But the entry of Maame Sarfoah Appiah in the race for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in 2020 reduced the huge gap between the NPP and the NDC candidates by over 4,000 votes.
In the 2016 election the incumbent Member of Parliament (MP), Mr. Kwaku Asante Boateng polled 32,256 votes to beat Mr. Degraft Fokuo of the NDC who garnered 16,133 votes, trailing his only contender by 16,123 votes.
Maame Sarfoah, however, reduced the deficit from 16,123 in 2016 to 11,584 after polling 21,639 votes in 2020 as against 33,223 by Mr. Asante Boateng.
Interestingly, President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo polled over 2,000 more votes in 2020 than his parliamentary candidate, a situation which suggests that several voters voted “skirt and blouse” in favour of Maame Sarfoah.
With the analysis, a cross-section of NDC supporters in the constituency believe the popularity of their candidate is surging, and that a little push could flip the results in their favour with barely one week to the election.
They are, therefore, working hard to snatch the seat from the NPP for the first time in 28 years on the back of what they believe is a dwindling popularity of the incumbent.
The NPP on the other hand are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to retain the seat and even widen the margin as they intensify their campaign across the constituency.
Despite being seen as the favourite to win the contest, the NPP is leaving no room for complacency, sending their messages to every nook and cranny of the constituency.
This is the second time the two contestants are facing each other in a battle for the ultimate, and both camps are upbeat about the chances of winning the seat on December 7.
As the two parties traverse the constituency in the last few days to election, the big question remains: Can Maame Sarfoah pull a surprise against Mr. Asante Boateng who has been very dominant in the constituency since he took over the seat in 2012.
The stakes are high, and election observers believe the NPP is likely to retain the seat but what is not known is by what margin.
GNA