Over the years in the Fourth Republic of Ghanaian democracy, the Ashanti Region and Volta Region have always been aligned to the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress respectively for their staunch support for the party. Even in the Volta Region, Peter Amewu became the first New Patriotic Party (NPP) candidate to win a parliamentary seat during the Fourth Republic of Ghana. He achieved this historic feat in the 2020 parliamentary elections, where he won the Hohoe Constituency seat. Michale Gyato Yaw had in 2016, won the Krachi East but the area has since been marked into the subsequently created Oti Region. The present-day Volta Region has traditionally been a stronghold of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), making Amewu’s victory particularly notable.
Since 1992, the NPP has consistently dominated the Ashanti Region, which is considered its stronghold.
In 1996, the NPP won 29 seats, while the NDC secured 4.
In the 2000 elections, the NDC held 2 parliamentary seats in the Ashanti Region, while the NPP secured 31 seats out of the region’s 33 constituencies at the time.
By 2004, the NPP increased its seats to 36, and the NDC dropped to 2.
For the 2008 parliamentary elections in the Ashanti Region, the NDC won the Asawase seat, while the New Patriotic Party (NPP) won the remaining 38 seats. Similarly, in the 2012 elections, the NDC maintained the Asawase seat, and the NPP held the rest of the 38 seats in the region.
The NPP secured 44 seats in 2016 out of 47, while the NDC managed 3 seats
In the 2020 elections, the NDC retained its only seat in the Ashanti Region, the Asawase constituency, while the NPP won the remaining 46 seats, solidifying its dominance in the region.
Having this background, it appears on the surface as quite surprising when Asawase Member of Parliament, Mubarak Muntaka Muhammad on the Monday November 18th episode of State of Affairs with Ibrahim Alhassan, described the Ashanti Region as an NDC stronghold.
First of Muntaka’s claims is that the Ashanti Region, despite being famed as the World Bank of the New Patriotic Party, as a matter of fact, is the National Democratic Congress’ second highest voter-base.
According to the Electoral Commission’s database, the NDC garnered its highest votes of one million, three hundred and twenty-six thousand, four hundred and eighty-nine, while the Ashanti region gave the party six hundred and fifty-three thousand one hundred and forty-nine votes. Second only to Greater Accra. It may come as a shock to a number of people who from the top of the head assume Volta gives the highest number of votes. Volta Region comes in third with six hundred and six thousand, five hundred and eight.
Let’s not confuse that with percentages. Because percentage-wise, the Volta Region stands highest with 84.81% . But Greater Accra and Ashanti regions reflected 51.4% and 26.8% respectively.
VERDICT: In nominal figures, the Ashanti region gave NDC its second-highest votes. Greater Accra, which gave NDC the highest number of votes remains a battleground region which has high stakes in determining the eventual winner of the elections. For Ashanti Region which has established allegiance to the NPP to give the NDC its second highest votes in the presidential race, it will stand as a stronghold in NDC’s algorithms.
Ergo, Asawase MP Mubarak Muntaka Muhammad’s claim is true.
Here is a video explainer:
Source: Ghana/Starrfm.com.gh/103.5FM/Ekow Boakye
