NDC tipped to win Akwatia re-run polls, but ...

Akwatia, Aug. 5, GNA - The National Democratic Congress (NDC) is most likely to win the August 18 re-run of elections in six polling stations in the Akwatia constituency, political analysts said. But the victory would not assure the party the Akwatia seat which, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) is highly tipped to retain.

This is because the NPP's candidate, Dr Kofi Asare, goes into the elections a favourite having beaten NDC's Mr Baba Jamal by 3,079 votes in the 83 out of 89 polling stations counted on December 7 last year. The re-run of the polls became necessary following disruption of voting at those polling stations where ballot boxes and polling materials were vandalized.

The six polling stations are the Presbyterian High School, Yoruba Mosque A, Yoruba Mosque B, Lorry Station A, Lorry Station B and the AME Zion Church, all at Akwatia.

The political analysts believe that only a political miracle could make the NDC win so massively at those polling stations to be able to win the constituency seat.

The votes collated from the 83 polling stations on December 7, gave Dr Kofi Asare (NPP) 16,889 votes as against 13,810 by Mr Baba Jamal (NDC), Mr Basil Ahiable (Independent) 1,835, Mr Samuel Agyei (CPP) 109 and Mr Samuel Abrokwah (Independent) 64.

There are 4,581 registered voters in the six polling stations where the August 18 will decide who wins the Akwatia seat According to the political analysts, the NDC will most likely win four of the six polling stations, Lorry station A and B and the Yoruba Mosque A and B in the predominantly two Zongo communities with the NPP winning Presby JHS and AME Zion Church, given the voting pattern at the stations in previous elections.

During the Presidential run-off on December 28, last year, only 3,308 voters turned up to cast their ballot in the six polling stations. The results gave President John Atta Mills (NDC) 2,028, votes and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo (NPP) 1,280, a difference of 748 votes. This means if similar results are recorded on August 18, then Dr Asare and the NPP will win handsomely, given the respectable lead they took on December 7.

But less than 3,308 voters are expected to turn up to vote at the re-run, since previous bye-elections produced fewer votes than at general elections as a result of voter apathy.

In the case of the re-run, it is likely to generate far less enthusiasm as at now not many people are putting much importance on the impending pool.

It is to be noted that there was so much eagerness on the part of voters during the Presidential re-run on December 28 to vote to decide who rules Ghana for the next four years but even then as many as 1,273 registered voters did not turn up to vote in the six polling stations. 05 Aug. 09