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Politics of Thursday, 26 January 2023

Source: www.ghanaweb.com

NDC may lose Asawase's seat over the removal of Muntaka as Chief Whip - Political scientist

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A political science lecturer at the Kumasi Technical University, Dr. Smart Sarpong, is predicting that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) may lose the Asawase seat over the removal of Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka as the Minority Chief Whip in parliament.

According to him, the votes from the Ashanti Region form more than some of the votes from the party’s strongholds in other parts of the country.

He insisted that the Asawase constituency contributed significantly to the electoral victory of the NDC.

Dr. Sarpong said that he fears the agitation being witnessed by some constituents of Asawase could cause the party to suffer heavily in the general elections.

In an interview with Kumasi-based Oyerepa TV, he warned the NDC against moves that could weaken their chances of winning the next election, adding that “the NDC should not think that they have won the 2024 elections."

“Muntaka is the only NDC MP within the Central Business District (CBD) in the Ashanti Region, so why remove him?

“NDC votes in the Ashanti region is more than many of votes from the so-called strongholds of the NDC. If the disturbances in Asawase reflects into votes, the NDC may lose the Asawase seat for the first time,” he stated.

The political scientist further stated that if the current agitations and unresolved tensions are not tackled, it will definitely affect the votes that the NDC will receive from the region.

“If you reflect on the gains made by the party in Asawase in 2020 and now that there’s division in the party, what it means is that NPP needs about 1,000 votes to snatch the seat from NDC and no one should take Muntaka for granted,” he told morning show host, Kwesi Parker-Wilson.

He added that the electoral gains chalked by the NDC in the Ashanti Region was largely due to Mohammed-Mubarak Muntaka’s role in the region.

He called on the party to save itself by rescinding its decision to oust the Haruna Iddrisu administration from the leadership of parliament.



AE/BOG