General News of Wednesday, 30 January 2019

Source: peacefmonline.com

Sympathy vote does win elections - Allotey Jacobs replies DKB

Allotey Jacobs and Delali Kwasi Brempong Allotey Jacobs and Delali Kwasi Brempong

Social Commentator, Allotey Jacobs has somewhat disagreed with the view expressed by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) candidate for the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency, Delali Kwasi Brempong, that it was a mistake by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to select wife of the late MP, Madam Lydia Seyram Alhassan, to run for her late husband's seat because she could garner sympathy votes.

Addressing the candidature of Madam Seyram Alhassan, Delali Kwasi Brempong (DKB) believed it is against tradition and customs for the widow to run for the election.

In an interview over the weekend, Mr. Brempong, in assessing his chances, told the media that the “NPP made a mistake. They chose a woman for sympathy votes but they got it very wrong. But it is an abomination for somebody from the Volta Region whose husband is in the morgue” to contest an election.

The remarks by the NDC candidate has angered some women in the Ayawaso West Wuogon, who consider them as "sexist".

Although Allotey Jacobs, speaking to host Kwami Sefa Kayi on Peace FM's "Kokrokoo", cleared the air by stating what exactly the NDC candidate meant by his statements, he, however, believed the choice of a woman by the NPP for sympathy votes could work for the ruling party.

Alluding to the 2012 elections, he explained that the NDC won the elections by sympathy votes due to the demise of the late President John Evans Atta Mills.

“In every politics, we take advantage. In every election, we take advantage of sympathy votes," he said.

To Allotey Jacobs, contrary to the views by Delali Kwasi Brempong; there is nothing wrong if the NPP’s strategy is to win the Ayawaso West Wuogon seat by sympathy votes stating emphatically "sympathy vote wins elections.

In 2012, we won the elections as a result of the death of Professor Mills. Everybody empathized with the NDC. So, there is a sympathy vote and you take advantage of it. You twist it to favour you”.