Nii Martey M. Botchway
Accra, June 11 (GNA) – With barely six months to the 2024 general election, the Ledzokuku Constituency is abuzz with intense political activities.
The Constituency’s voting patterns and dynamics remain a mystery for which reason supporters of both the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are passionately campaigning for their candidates to be the preferred choice in the parliamentary election.
Political posters and billboards of both candidates are fast springing up in the Constituency in a bid to communicate their achievements to the constituents.
Historically, the Ledzokuku Constituency has not reelected a Member of Parliament (MP) after their first term, with the exception of the NDC’s Nii Adjei Boye Sekan, who won in 1992 and 1996. In the 2000 general election, incumbent Nii Adjei Boye Sekan was replaced by the NPP’s Eddie Akita, who lost the 2004 election to former Deputy Minister of Health, Dr. Gladys Norley Ashitey, also from the NPP.
The 2008 general election saw the seat returning to the NDC as Veteran Broadcaster and former Deputy Minister of Sports, Nii Nortey Dua beat Dr Ashitey to reclaim the seat for the NDC. He, however, lost the Party’s primaries to Belinda Sena Okity Duah, who went on to become the MP, and was subsequently appointed a Deputy Minister of Gender, Children and Social Protection.
Like her predecessors, she also fell to the axe, and lost the 2016 election to the NPP’s Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, who was appointed Deputy Minister of Health.
In a shocking turn of events, and what was considered as a surprise by most Ghanaians, the NDC’s Benjamin Ayiku Narteh, a Business Man, in the 2020 election, dethroned incumbent Dr Okoe Boye, who had been tipped to break the one term jinx, by a margin of 1,866 votes to maintain the Constituency’s trend of unseating its MPs after one term.
The Constituency, which is home to Ga ethnic groups, has a significant youthful population that brings vibrancy to the political mood in the area.
Key issues such as roads, unemployment, education, infrastructure, health, and the urgent need for sustainable development have been the dominant factors for the constituents’ choice of an MP.
With elections fast approaching, the Ledzokuku constituency is set to be an area of interest as the outcome of the 2024 election will be a significant indicator of the political mood in the critical swing constituency.
Re-election vrs comeback
While the incumbent, Benjamin Ayiku Narteh is seeking re-election, his contender, the NPP’s Dr Bernard Okoe Boye, is campaigning for a comeback.
Highlighting his achievements, particularly in health and education, the incumbent MP, Mr Ayiku Narteh is confident and believes he is the candidate to break the constituency’s one-term jinx. His campaign is focused on continuity and building on his accomplishments over the past term.
On the other hand, his contender, Dr Okoe Boye, who has been considered as one of the fastest-rising politicians, emphasising his previous contributions to the community, aims to reclaim the Ledzokuku seat after beating competition from four other contenders in the NPP primaries.
Assessment
While in previous elections, where the contenders were not subjected to an assessment of their performance like the incumbent, constituents will this time round evaluate the performances of the incumbent and his contender, who have both had a shot in representing the people in Parliament.
The only difference, however, is that, unlike his contender, and all other past MPs, Mr Ayiku Narteh is the only candidate to become MP with his Party in opposition.
As the December 7th election fast approaches, the Ledzokuku Constituency is certainly one to watch in the upcoming elections.
Will the trend of one-term MPs continue? Will it be a second term for the NDC’s Benjamin Ayiku Narteh or a return for the NPP’s Dr Bernard Okoe Boye?
GNA