Pollster and Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, Ben Ephson has warned that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) may risk losing over 450,000 votes in the 2020 general elections if incumbents MPs are allowed to go unopposed.
“If the NPP should dare, they should know that they are losing at least 450,000 votes in this elections”.
According to him, any decision to allow incumbents to go unopposed would largely disadvantage the party’s delegates, knowing that this is the time to milk candidates since many of them are not accessible to the delegates until election years.
“2021 and 2022 many of the delegates know that many of the MPs will make themselves inaccessible so for the delegates, this is an opportunity to milk them knowing that the next two years after the elections the MPs won’t mind them”.
He said delegates throughout the country have shown their displeasure towards imposition of incumbent MPs by the National Executives and the party will lose many of their seats if they ignore the warnings from the delegates.
Speaking on Diamond Power drive, Ben Ephson emphasized that, the party will be blocking the chances of other party loyalists who wanted to be in the race and that will create voter apathy within the party.
Asked if it was a decision by the party to maintain experience MPs in the house, the celebrated Pollster said it was for parochial interest of the party leadership to take such a decision and there was no need to protect incumbent MPs.
Touching on the ongoing debate on whether the Electoral Commission needs new voters register for the December general elections, the Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch Ben Ephson urged persons against the EC decision to seek clarity from the Supreme Court.
He said demonstrations will not force the EC to change their decision but the Supreme Court can compel the EC to submit their technical report based on which the EC is making a case for a new register for scrutiny before the court makes a decision.
“The EC is making a case for a new register base on the advice from their IT experts, demonstrations will not stop the EC from doing what they (EC) want just like prior to 2016 demonstrations did not force the EC to do what they (demonstrators) wanted”.
“Once the EC is a creature of the constitution, you go to the Supreme Court, if somebody thinks that the EC powers are not open ended and goes to court, the EC will be force to bring their technical report for scrutiny and the Supreme Court will take a decision”.
The Dispatch Managing Editor is hopeful that, issues of compiling a new voters’ roll for elections may soon come to an end when the National Identification Authority takes full charge of all Ghanaian citizens by having them on their data system.
Source: Edward A. Ken-Zorre | www.diamondfmonline.com | Ghana
