By Kwabia Owusu-Mensah
Kumasi Nov. 28, GNA – There is no doubt that, Ashanti region will be the epicenter of the December 07, 2024 general elections.
The region, traditionally considered as the stronghold of the NPP, has always determined the fortunes of the party and continues to hold it firmly both in presidential and parliamentary outcomes.
However, Ashanti region will play a critical role in the election outcomes for both NPP and NDC, the two main political parties in the country, in this year’s elections, which will mark a milestone in the country’s political history.
This has therefore necessitated heightened political campaign activities in the region by the two main political parties, in the run-up to the elections.
The region has in the month of November, become a battlefield of intense political activities by both NPP and NDC, to take control over the votes in the region.
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP flag-bearer has spent three weeks campaigning in all the 47 constituencies in the region.
Mr Johnson Asiedu Nketia, the National Chairman of the NDC has also spent two weeks on his ‘retail’ outreach program, campaigning in some communities described as ‘NDC strongholds’ in the region.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, the President of the Republic of Ghana, has also spent three days in the month of November thanking the chiefs and the people for their support during his reign as President and also commissioning some projects that have been completed in the region by his administration.
The President’s tour in the region had also been characterized by a massive campaign to garner support from the people in the region to endorse his Vice President, as his successor.
Again, almost all government appointees, Chief Executives of state organizations and prominent members of the NPP, who are from the Ashanti region and other parts of the country, are in the region campaigning in various communities to garner support for Dr Bawumia.
The motive in all these strenuous campaign activities is to help maximize the votes in the Ashanti region.
The NPP has targeted to obtain 85 percent of the Ashanti votes and it is working hard to make sure that the target is achieved.
Between 75 and 85 percent of votes in Ashanti is enough to retain the NPP in power.
Ashanti region has a total voter population of 3,019,178, who will be voting in 7,100 polling stations across the 47 constituencies in the region.
This includes 465,224 first time voters, who are considered as the products of the NPP flagship programme, the free SHS policy.
In the 2020 presidential elections, Nana Akufo-Addo had 1,795,824, out of the total 2,466,856 valid votes cast, to win the elections in the Ashanti region.
Mr John Mahama of the NDC, had 653,149 votes.
The central message by all the NPP people campaigning across the region is that the people should go out in their numbers on December 07, to vote.
This is because any voter apathy in the region will spell doom for the party.
The NDC on the other hand, is vigorously campaigning to increase its voter tally in the region.
The objective is to find any possible means to reduce the votes of NPP in the Ashanti region and thereby, minimize its chance of winning the elections.
These dynamics are making the Ashanti region the key decider of the December elections.
The struggles for the parliamentary seats have also intensified in all the constituencies.
Ashanti region has over 120 candidates contesting in the 47 constituencies across the region.
Though all, but three seats are safe for the NPP, both parties are not yielding to this.
While the NDC is hanging on the current economic challenges facing the country to court the support of some voters in the various constituencies, the NPP is vigorously explaining to the people the impact of the various social intervention
policies which are being implemented by the government to improve the lives of the majority of Ghanaians and the need for the government to stay in power to continue the implementation of these policies.
What the NPP is telling the people in the region is that any mistake to vote against it will mean the total cancellation of all these social intervention policies, especially the free SHS policy.
The NDC has only four parliamentary seats.
They are Ejura-Sekyedumasi, New Edubiase, Sekyere Afram Plains and Asawase.
These seats are, however, not safe for the NDC in this year’s elections.
The NPP is working hard to snatch at least two; New Edubiase and Sekyere Afram Plains.
As the campaigning intensifies in the few days ahead of the elections, political and election watchers are eager to see how these will play on December 07, 2024.
GNA