Despite the governing National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) increasing share of votes in the Ashanti Region from past elections, it will be a miracle if the party polls more than 300,000 votes in the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections, Sam Pyne, the General Secretary of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has stated.
Mr Pyne made the remarks on the same day the NDC launched its campaign, targeting one million votes for President John Mahama in December’s polls.
The NDC has since 2008 increased its share of votes in the Ashanti Region – the stronghold of the NPP – winning 28% of votes cast in the 2012 elections, representing 611, 604.
But Mr Pyne is adamant 2016 will see the NDC lose ground to the NPP. He said these in reaction to comments by Deputy Minister of Defence Kenneth Adjei, as he addressed NDC faithful at the party’s campaign launch in Kumasi, that though the NPP had always resorted to electoral violence, supporters should not be afraid to turn out and vote massively for the party on December 7 since the president had tasked military men and the police to protect citizens and forestall violence before, during and after the elections in the region.
Mr Agyei stated: “You all know that here in Kumasi they (NPP) resort to violence when it comes to elections. For this year’s elections, our president has tasked the military and police to ensure everyone is protected from danger. So I urge you that when the time comes, no one should remain indoors; everyone should go out and vote.”
Dismissing the the deputy minister’s comments on Accra News on Saturday October 15, Mr Pyne noted that with the NPP commanding most of the votes in the region, it would make no sense to want to visit mayhem on voters and prevent them from casting their ballots.
According to him, the history of electoral violence in the region weighed against the NDC which, in 2012, following the introduction of biometric voter registration and voting, formed a task force to raid the office of the Electoral Commission in Kumasi, destroying equipment and assaulting some individuals.
Mr Pyne also accused Ashanti Regional Minister Alexander Ackon of urging NDC supporters, during a rally in the Ahafo Ano South East constituency two weeks ago, not to be afraid to attack any supporter of the NPP if provoked, since the party would arrange bail for them should they be arrested.
“I believe the National Peace Council, civil society bodies, and men of God are listening. We will remain vigilant but if it is a plot they have hatched in the Ashanti Region, it will not materialise,” assured Mr Pyne.
He played down talk that tensions were rising in the Ashanti Region ahead of elections in December and promised that his party would trounce the NDC in the upcoming polls.
“There is no tension [in the Ashanti Region],” he explained, assuring: “The 600,000 votes they (NDC) obtained in 2012, they will not get that this year. If they get more than 300,000 [votes], that will be a miracle. There is no tension but if they are the ones going to cause violence, then they should be careful.”
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