NDC Becoming More Appealing To Voters: Franklin Cudjoe Observes After Assin North And Kumawu By-Elections

• Franklin Cudjoe has said the opposition NDC is fast becoming more appealing to Ghanaian voters
• He told YEN.com.gh in an exclusive interview that the results of the two recent by-elections show the opposition party is retaining voters and even getting new ones
• Cudjoe said the trend suggests that the governing NPP has a daunting task ahead of the 2024 elections
• The founding president of IMANI, however, noted that the crucial 2024 election is a year away, hence it would be difficult to predict any party's chances with current trends

Founding president of the influential think tank IMANI Centre for Policy and Education Franklin Cudjoe has said the opposition NDC is becoming more appealing to Ghanaian voters.

Cudjoe based his observation on the outcomes of recent by-elections in Kumawu in the Ashanti Region and Assin North in the Central Region.

Read also

Assin North: Prof Gyampo says too early to predict NDC’s electoral victory in 2024

"The NDC would be doing itself a lot of good by maintaining whatever they are doing right now to ensure that they are able to reach out to a lot more non-NDC core voters," he told YEN.com.gh in an exclusive interview that analysed the outcome of the Assin North by-elections.

The respected analyst and champion of good governance and public accountability said if the NDC keeps up the current tempo or momentum, the NPP would have a daunting task in 2024.

"The NPP needs to be really, really scared. They need to be afraid," he cautioned.

Outcome of Kumawu and Assin by-elections

The opposition NDC candidate James Gyakye Quayson beat NPP's Charles Opoku during the keenly contested by-election on June 27.

Read also

"Nobody can say Fitch is entirely wrong": Akufo-Addo appointee admits NDC can win 2024 election

Quayson won with 17,245 votes representing 57.56% of the valid votes while Opoku garnered 12,630 votes representing 42.15% of the valid votes cast.

In 2020, Quayson won the same parliamentary by 55.21, suggesting that the outcome of the latest by-election was an appreciation of about 2% more votes.

Also, in Kumawu, although the NDC candidate Kwasi Amankwa lost the polls to NPP's Ernest Yaw Annim, the political analysts and even some members of the NDC interpret a fall in NPP's vote to mean the opposition NDC is gaining ground.

The trend favours NDC generally

According to Franklin Cudjoe, the Kumawu and the Assin North elections also show that the NDC seems to be maintaining votes and even gaining a bit more.

"What it means is that people are beginning to gravitate towards the NDC," he analysed.

He noted further that the NDC is currently outperforming its previous performance, which is always good for a party hoping to return to power.

Read also

"It's a victory for Justice": Gyakye Quayson speaks after winning Assin North seat again

He, however, cautioned as follows:

"It is a year to an election [the 2024 general election] so there is a lot more that could change. But currently, the NDC seems to be on the ascendency in terms of votes and the momentum is on their side."

Professor Gyampo says it's too early to predict any party's 2024 victory

Meanwhile, YEN.com.gh has reported in a related story that renowned political scientist Prof Ransford Gyampo also said it is too early to use the Assin North and Kumawu by-elections to make predictions about the 2024 general elections.

He told YEN.com.gh in an exclusive interview that while NDC seems to have an edge over NPP currently, 2024 is still a long time for the dynamics to change.

The academic at the University of Ghana, Legon said both NDC and NPP have a lot of work to do before the presidential and parliamentary elections next year.

Read also

Rachel Appoh responding to treatment: NDC parliamentary candidate hopeful "doing okay" after close shave with death

Source: YEN.com.gh