Ben Ephson better off writing about nutrition - NPP

Pollster and managing editor of Daily Dispatch, Ben Ephson, would be better served writing about nutrition than engaging in election surveys because his poll analyses are politically motivated, Yaw Adomako Baafi, a private legal practitioner and a deputy communications officer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has said.

According to him, Mr Ephson does not fall within the league of credible persons who conduct pre-election surveys, hence should not be taken seriously with his recent survey ahead of the December 7 elections.

His comments follow polls released by Mr Ephson, which project a 52.4 per cent win for President John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the presidential elections.

According to the opinion survey conducted on November 16, 2016, the three-time presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Akufo-Addo, is likely to garner 45.9 per cent of votes with the rest of the presidential candidates managing 1.7 per cent of total votes cast.

But reacting to the polls in an interview with Accra News’ Katakyie Obeng Mensah on Monday November 28, Mr Adomako Baafi said: “If he uses his paper to write about nutrition issues, it will serve him better than what he is doing. We want serious pollsters from the University of Ghana and other places, not Ben Ephson. Who is he when it comes to pre-election surveys?

“The people that he is doing the survey for, the NDC, some of them have even said he is a liar. Obuobia Darko, contesting the Weija-Gbawe seat, has said he is a liar. Former President Rawlings, who founded the NDC, even said he was a bootlicker. Someone whose paper just writes about Ashantis and Akyems and all that cannot be taken seriously.”