Central Region ‘greened’ - NDC secures 18 seats, NPP-4, IND-1

The Central Region has not been left out of the "green tsunami" at the December 7 polls as the National Democratic Congress (NDC) swept 18 of the region's 23 parliamentary seats.

The region, famous for its swing nature, swung to the NDC to demonstrate its disapproval of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in this year's elections, with the NDC’s presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, also winning massively.

Of the 992,477 total votes cast in the region, the NDC secured 617,100 votes, while the NPP polled 421,691 votes, a difference of 192,409 votes.

Mr Mahama won in all constituencies in the region except in Effutu and Hemang Lower Denkyira.

The issues which impacted elections were the economic situation in the country, illegal mining, commonly called galamsey in local circles, the worsening state of fisheries stock and its negative impact on coastal communities and the high unemployment rate.

Many first-time voters also told the Daily Graphic they voted for change just to experience a "new" government.

Other persons indicated they felt the region's sons and daughters had been left out of government.

Parliamentary

During the 2020 elections, the NPP won 10 seats in the region, with the NDC securing 13 seats.

 Alexander Afenyo-Markin — NPP MP-elect for Effutu, • Dr Cassiel Ato Forson — NDC MP for Ajumako-Enyan-Essiam

At the time, the NPP won the Agona West, Awutu Senya East, Upper Denkyira East, Hemang Lower Denkyira, Abura Asebu Kwamankese, Gomoa Central, Assin South, Effutu, Assin Central and Mfantseman constituencies.

Although the NDC’s Regional Chairman, Prof. Richard Asiedu, had set an "Agenda 20 seats” for the parliamentary elections, the party fell short by just two.

The NDC captured six of the 10 NPP seats, the Agona West, Awutu Senya East, Upper Denkyira East, Assin Central, Abura Asebu Kwamankese and Mfantseman.

The party, however, lost the Upper Denkyira West seat, held by Daniel Ohene Darkoh, to the NPP.

The NDC left four seats for the NPP, including the Hemang Lower Denkyira won by Lawrence Agyensiam, Effutu won by Alex Afenyo Markin, Assin South retained by John Ntim Fordjour and the Upper Denkyira West which was won by Rudolf Amoako-Gyampah.

Effutu

The Effutu Constituency, held by Majority Leader Afenyo Markin, was certainly one hard nut the NDC could not easily crack considering the immense developmental works he had undertaken in the constituency and the employment opportunities he had created for many of the youth.

Assin South

The incumbent NPP Member of Parliament (MP) and deputy Minister of Education, John Ntim Fordjour managed to retain his seat with 14,899 votes with a relatively slim margin, as the contest had independent candidate from the camp of the NPP, Stephen Kofi Baidoo, also in the race.

Mr Baidoo garnered 13,354 votes, while the NDC's Joseph Kofi Damptey polled 10,332.

However, the presidential candidate of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama, won with 19,086 votes in the constituency, with Dr Mahamudu Bawumia of the NPP polling 17,615.

Independent candidate

Entertainer and politician, Kwame Asare Obeng, popularly known as A Plus, made a strong entrance to the active political scene as an independent candidate, capturing the Gomoa Central seat from the deputy Minister for the Interior, Naana Eyiah.

He polled 14,277 votes to topple the incumbent, Naana Eyiah who had 11,637, while the NDC parliamentary candidate, Muhammad Naeem-Deen, polled 10,112.

Naana Eyiah had fallen out with the constituents and could have been replaced but managed to win the election but could not survive the general parliamentary election, leaving the seat for the independent candidate.

It is interesting to know John Dramani Mahama won that constituency with 22,490 of the 35,280 total valid votes cast.

Awutu Senya East

In the infamous Awutu Senya East, which has never been held by the NDC, a fierce bloody woman-to-woman contest left Phyllis Naa Koryoo Okunnor of the NDC beating the Minister of Fisheries and Aquaculture Development and incumbent MP, Mavis Hawa Koomson, to take the seat for the NDC.

Naa Koryoo secured 50,886 votes, defeating Mrs Koomson who garnered 46,638 votes. The incumbent MP was seeking a fourth-time endorsement.

But that did not happen without a deadly incident, leaving one constituent dead and another seriously injured.

Mr Mahama of the NDC won in the constituency with an even larger margin of 54,480 votes as against Dr Bawumia's 38,942 votes.

Mfantseman

The Mfantseman Constituency, which had been held by Ekow Quansah Hayford in 2016 and retained by his widow, Ophelia Mensah Hayford in 2020, has been taken by the NDC's new entrant Dr Prince Ebenezer Arhin.

Mrs Hayford had a broken front with lots of internal wranglings, reducing the strength of the party in the constituency.

Dr Prince Arhin of the NDC was, on the other hand, a likeable home-grown Mfantseman boy who had a lot in common with the ordinary people on the streets with his great human relations.

He polled 36,989 votes, leaving the incumbent with 25,099 votes.

It was a deadly gamble for the NPP when it elected a new entrant to contest the politically experienced Felix Ofosu Kwakye of the NDC who also snatched the Abura Asebu Kwamankese seat from the NPP on a silver platter.

Assin Central

The Assin Central, which has been held by Kennedy Agyapong of the NPP since it was created in 2012, has never been held by the NDC.

The NDC's parliamentary candidate for Assin Central, Nurein Shiabu Migyimah, also benefited from the "green wave" across the region and country, snatching the seat from the NPP.

Ajumako Enyan Essiam (AEE)

The incumbent NDC MP and Minority Leader in Parliament, Dr Cassiel Ato Forson, repeated winning ways at the Ajumako Enyan Essiam Constituency with 40,478 votes to return to the chamber for the sixth consecutive time.

The experienced politician and “AEE darlingboy" proved too strong for his closest contender, Rashid Entuaful, who garnered 18,623.

Cape Coast North/South

The Cape Coast North and South being held by Kweku Ricketts Hagan and Kwamina Mintah Nyarko of the NDC respectively were both retained.

Kweku Ricketts Hagan, Cape Coast "Mugabe" polled 21,277 votes, while Ernest Arthur, the MCE for Cape Coast and candidate of the NPP, had 14,163 votes.

Amina Mintah Nyarku, who was a lecturer at the University of Cape Coast, surprisingly and for the first time, managed to win all polling stations on the UCC campus, pushing up his chances, polling 23,521 votes and beating Horace Ekow Ewusi who had 17,045 votes to retain the seat.

KEEA

The MP for the Komenda-Edina-Eguafo Abrem Constituency, Samuel Atta Mills of the NDC, also retained his seat with 30,220 votes, leaving his closest contender, Dennis Percyval Quaicoe of the NPP, who polled 17,675 votes.

The parliamentary candidate of the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP), Emmanuel Kofi Duku, polled 7,400 votes.

It was, however, clear that there was "skirt and blouse" voting as the presidential candidate of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama polled 37,410, over 7,000 more votes than the parliamentary candidate. Dr Bawumia of the NPP polled 15,424 votes.

The KEEA is the home constituency of the Vice-President-elect, Professor Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang.

Ekumfi

The Ekumfi Constituency, known to be the home constituency of late President Prof. Evans Atta Mills, is traditionally NDC and it was not surprising they overwhelmingly endorsed Othniel Ekow Kwainoe of the NDC.

Gomoa East and West were also taken by the NDC with Desmond Degraft Paitoo and Richard Gyan-Mensah winning respectively.

Upper Denkyira East

Dr Festus Awuah Kwofie, incumbent NPP MP for Upper Denkyira East, a traditional NPP seat, was unseated by the NDC's Emelia Ankomah.  
Emelia Ankomah polled 24,426 votes to beat Dr Kwofie who polled 18,895.  

The contestant of the Peoples National Convention, Offin Amaniampong Owusu, polled 94 votes.

Agona West

In the Agona West Constituency, it was obvious the NPP would lose to the NDC considering that Cynthia Morrison, the incumbent MP, had in a controversial breakaway, gone ahead to contest the election as an independent candidate.

The NPP's Christopher Arthur polled 20,693 votes, while Ms Morrison polled 7,160 allowing the NDC’s Enerstina Ofori Danbgey to win the seat with 26,080.

John Dramani Mahama also won decisively with 30,525 votes, about 13,000 more votes than Dr Bawumia who polled 21,387 votes.

Agona East, Brakwa

Queenstar Pokuah Sawyerr of the NDC again retained the Agona East seat for the party with 22,225 with her closest contender, Hannah Asamoah of the NPP, polling 17,256 votes.

In the Asikuma Odoben Brakwa Constituency, incumbent Alhassan Kobina Ghansah rode on the party's winning waves to repeat his winning ways, polling 25,244 to beat NPP's Winnifred Abaidoo-Ayin who polled 22,498. 

Twifo Atti Mokwa

The Twifo Atti Mokwa Constituency, also a traditional NDC seat, was retained by David Vondee.

In Assin North, James Gyakye Quayson of the NDC secured 18,023 votes to retain the seat, leaving the NPP's Charles Opoku with 13,599 votes.

In the Awutu Senya West Constituency, the NDC’s incumbent Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui garnered 33,995 votes to beat the Communications Director at the Presidency, Eugene Arhin, who secured 26,937 votes.

Naana Opoku Agyeman factor

The Vice-President-elect, Prof. Opoku Agyemang, is from the Central Region and may have accounted for the convincing win of the NDC.

A lecturer at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, University of Cape Coast, Dr Takyi Akonor, said all politicians must take a cue from the election that if they ignored the sensitivities of the people, they would be punished for it.

He observed that issues of the economy and the closed season, unavailability of premix fuel and farming inputs among others had caused disaffection among voters in the region for the ruling government.

Dr Akonor said those sentiments, whether genuine or not, should have been given the needed attention by the government.

"Governance is about the wishes of the people who vote you into power. It’s about the people you serve and particularly for the Central Region, if you ignore such sentiments, you will be punished severely no matter who you are," he stated.

Dr Akonor said people got the sense the government did not care when it refused to make the needed reshuffles to bring the economy on track timeously.

"The people got the impression you did not care and you don't mind and there are consequences for that," he stated.

The regional director of elections of the NDC said the victory was a result of years of hard work and dedication.

He said the NDC was committed to rolling out policies that would be to the benefit of the region.