NDC causes upset in Bono Region - Wins 11 out of 12 seats

The National Democratic Congress (NDC), caused an upset in the just-ended 2024 general election in the Bono Region with the party winning 11 out of 12 seats. 

Before the 2024 election, the NDC and New Patriotic Party (NPP) had six seats each, but the NDC fought harder to increase its seats from six to 11 during the exercise.

The only seat won by the NPP in the region is the Jaman South seat, which is currently occupied by the incumbent NDC MP, Williams Okofo-Darteh.

The seat was won by the NPP's new entrant, Colonel Kwadwo Damoah, a former Commissioner of Customs at the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA).

Not only that, the NDC also dominated in the presidential election.

Statistics from the Bono regional office of the Electoral Commission (EC) indicate that the NDC flag bearer, John Dramani Mahama, polled a total of 235,681 votes in the region as against

192,773 votes obtained by the NPP’s Presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

An Economist at Dumat Africa, Enoch O. Okonah, told the Daily Graphic that several factors, including economic hardship, not being in touch with the party’s grassroots and lack of development accounted for NPP's loss, including the parliamentary seats.

"What I think is that the economic hardship is the main reason why the party lost.
"I also believe that at a certain point in time, the party lost touch with the grassroots, and several party members felt neglected. They felt like they sacrificed a lot for the party, but when the party came to power, they were neglected," he said.

Mr Okonah said the lack of development in the country, particularly NPP strongholds such as Bono, Ashanti and Eastern regions also contributed to the party’s loss.

NPP MPs

Surprisingly, all the incumbent NPP MPs in the region lost their seats to the NDC candidates, while one incumbent NDC MP lost his seat to the NPP's new entrant.

In the Sunyani East Constituency, which is considered to be a stronghold of the NPP, the incumbent NPP MP, Kwasi Ameyaw-Cheremeh, lost the seat to NDC’s Seid Mubarak.

Mr Mubarak obtained 34,453 votes to unseat Mr Ameyaw-Cheremeh, who got 22,306 votes.

An independent aspirant, Ransford Antwi, had 8,294 votes and Sampson Alannyina Sampana of the People's National Convention (PNC) obtained 222 votes.

In Sunyani West, the incumbent NPP MP, Ignatius Baffuor-Awuah, who is also the Minister of Employment and Labour Relations, lost the battle after polling 19,715 votes, while the NDC’s candidate, Millicent Yeboah Amankwah, garnered 26,828 to win.

Apart from 1992 when NPP boycotted the parliamentary election, this is the first time that the party lost the Sunyani East and West constituencies.

Other constituencies

In the Dormaa Central constituency, the NPP MP, Kwaku Agyemang-Manu, a former Minister of Health was also defeated in the two-horse race.

The NDC’s candidate, John Kwame Adu Jack, polled 23,035 votes to unseat Mr Agyemang-Manu, who got 17,450 votes.

In Dormaa East, incumbent NPP MP, Paul Twum-Barimah, lost his seat to NDC’s candidate, Rachel Owusuah Amma.

Mrs Owusuah garnered 12, 310 votes, while Mr Twum-Barimah polled 12,050 votes.

In the Berekum West constituency, NPP MP, Kwaku Agyenim-Boateng was also defeated by the NDC’s candidate, Dickson Kyereh-Duah.

Mr Kyereh-Duah had 13,869 votes to unseat Mr Agyenim-Boateng who obtained 8,651 votes.

In the Berekum East constituency, the incumbent NPP MP, Nelson Kyeremeh, who contested with the NDC's Simon Ampaabeng Kyeremeh, lost the battle.

The NDC’s Kyeremeh had 23,476 votes to beat the incumbent NPP MP, Mr Kyeremeh, who got 14,356 votes.

NDC MPs retention

The NDC MPs who retained their seats are the MP for Banda, Ahmed Ibrahim, MP for Tain, Sulemana Adama, MP for Wenchi, Seidu Haruna, MP for Jaman North, Fredrick Yaw Ahenkwah and the Dormaa West MP, Vincent Oppong-Asamoah.

With these changes, the NPP will only enjoy one seat in the Ninth Parliament.

No magic

Mr Okonah said the NDC did not perform any magic to win big, explaining that the NPP supporters refused to participate in the election, which gave the NDC a huge opportunity to win more seats in the region.

"If you look at the figures or votes cast in the 2024 general election and compare it to the 2020 election in the region and the country at large, it is clear that NDC did not increase their votes to get the massive win they had. This shows that the NPP supporters did not vote," he said.

Mr Okonah said the NPP approached some major issues in the country in a way Ghanaians felt members of the party were arrogant.

"These are real issues which made a lot of NPP people refuse to vote. It is not like NPP supporters voted  for NDC, but they did not go out to vote."

Advice to NPP, NDC

Mr Okonah urged the NPP to go back to the drawing board, re-engage with the grassroots for reconciliation and organise themselves with unity ahead of the 2028 general election.

He advised the NDC to work hard to fulfil promises they made to Ghanaians during the campaigns.

Mr Okonah explained that the NDC made several promises to Ghanaians which needed to be fulfilled to keep them in power.

Writer's email: biiya.ali@graphic.com.gh