Ghana Election: Ten Constituencies To Watch In The 2024 Parliamentary Elections
The makeup of the 9th parliament and, by extension, who ultimately wins the 2024 presidential elections hangs on the outcome of some swing and highly contested constituencies across the country
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As Ghana gears up for the 2024 general elections, all eyes are on some key constituencies that would prove to be decisive battlegrounds and are likely to produce exciting outcomes.
YEN.com.gh has looked at 10 such constituencies and what makes them stand out as the country heads to the polls.
Source: UGC
A look at Ghana's 10 battleground constituencies
Ledzokuku
Over the years, Ledzokuku has seen intense competition between the two major political parties, and this year will be no exception.
While Ledzokuku tends to prefer NDC presidential candidates, its parliamentary preference is ever-changing, switching between both parties.
In the 2024 elections, Dr Bernard Koe Boye of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), who was ousted in the 2020 elections by the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) Benjamin Ayiku Narteh, will attempt to reclaim his seat in a campaign dubbed 'Sankofa'.
Ayiku would also be fighting to retain his seat in a constituency known for not retaining a candidate for more than one term.
Adentan
The situation is no different in the Adentan Constituency, where candidates do not go beyond one term.
Some have attributed this trend to the constituents prioritising accountability and development over party loyalty.
In the 2024 general elections, the incumbent MP, Mohamed Adamu Ramadan, will try to break the four-year jinx by defeating his strong NPP opponent, Akosua Manu, popularly called Kozie.
Ayawaso West Wuogon
The 2024 polls will be fiercest in the Ayawaso West Wuogon constituency, where the NPP’s Lydia Seyram Alhassan will face off with John Dumelo.
While the constituency has long been an NPP stronghold, the NDC has been attempting to steal the seat for some time now.
This was fairly represented in the outcome of the 2020 elections when Maa Lydia won the seat by a narrow margin of 2,373 votes, a 75% reduction of the previous 10,057-vote margin in the 2016 polls.
However, the NPP still believes it has an ace up its sleeves to once again widen the gap in the 2024 elections.
Agona West
Agona West has particularly become interesting considering that the incumbent MP, Cynthia Mamle Morrison, has decided to run as an independent candidate after losing her ticket to Christopher Arthur in the NPP primaries.
While an NPP stronghold, Cynthia Morrison’s breakaway could affect the votes the party would need to maintain its hold on the constituency, paving the way for the NDC’s Ernestina Ofori Dangbe to win the seat.
Suhum
Also an NPP stronghold, the recent decision of the incumbent MP, Kwadwo Asante, to run as an independent candidate after losing his ticket to Frank Asiedu Bekoe could prove disastrous for the party.
The cracks in the NPP’s front could help the NDC candidate, Prince Kwadwo Addo Tabiri, win over the constituency.
Okaikwei North
The Okaikwei North constituency is an exciting contest with two incumbent female MPs fighting for the seat.
The incumbent Okaikwei North NDC MP Theresa Lardi Awuni is facing stiff opposition from the two-time NPP MP for Akuapem-Akropong, Nana Ama Dokua Asiamah-Adjei, who switched camps in the 2024 elections to run in Okaikwei North.
With the Okaikwei North constituency considered a stronghold of the NPP, Theresa Awuni is in a tight spot to defend her seat against the 'intruder'.
Awutu Senya West
The Awutu Senya West is a crucial battleground constituency in the 2024 general elections. It is known to be a swing constituency, alternating between the New Patriotic Party and the National Democratic Congress.
It also tends to keep an MP for a single term only, creating a stiff hurdle for Gizella Tetteh-Agbotui, the incumbent NDC MP in the area.
Source: UGC
She faces stiff opposition from Eugene Arhin, the NPP’s parliamentary candidate and the president's Director of Communications.
Eugene enjoys strong support from the presidency and has initiated several developmental projects in the area in the run-up to the election.
Ablekuma South
The Ablekuma South constituency promises to be exciting, with former Accra Mayor and NDC candidate Alfred Okoe Vanderpuije facing off with NPP candidate Samuel Sarbah Lartey, an educationist.
Samuel Sarbah strongly believes he is in pole position to unseat the former Accra Mayor in a constituency that has been considered an NDC stronghold in the past four consecutive elections.
Hohoe
John Peter Amewu’s victory in the Hohoe constituency in the 2020 election came as a surprise to the NDC, which considered the Volta Region and that constituency a stronghold.
After losing that seat, they have ramped up efforts to regain that lone blue seat in a sea of green seats in the 2024 elections.
Source: UGC
However, Global InfoAnalytics has predicted a second victory for Amewu following his developmental projects in the area.
Thomas Worlanyo, the NDC’s candidate, has a steep hill to climb.
Afram plains
An interesting turn of events in the Afram Plains constituency may tip the scale against the NDC in the December 7 polls.
A former NDC MP of the area, Kpeli Worlase, has decided to contest the seat as an independent candidate, opposing Betty Mensah Krosby, the incumbent MP.
Kpeli has also endorsed John Mahama for the presidency and is campaigning with a similar message. While Afram Plains is an NDC stronghold, the split in NDC votes could prove disastrous in the 2024 elections.
Proofread by Bruce Douglas, senior copy editor at YEN.com.gh
Source: YEN.com.gh
