Asawase Member of Parliament and former minority Chief Whip says the party will secure about 32% of the Ashanti Region’s votes in the December elections, and labeled the New Patriotic Party’s aim for 85% as unattainable and overly ambitious.
Mohammed Mubarak Muntaka noted that the NDC’s worst performance has always been around 20 % percent of the vote in the Ashanti Region since 1992, making an increase to 32% plausible.
This observation comes after the NPP announced its running mate in Kumasi, where Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh appealed to voters to deliver 85% of the votes to the party.
In an interview with JoyNews, after meeting with the Tafo/Pankrono NDC parliamentary candidate, Zongo Chiefs, and religious leaders, the Asawase MP, questions the feasibility of the NPP’s strategy to achieve 85% given the NDC’s consistent historical performance in the region,
“If you look at our worst performance in the last 30 years in this region, it has never dropped below 20 percent. Are they going to prevent us from voting, or how do they expect to secure the 85 percent of the votes?” he quizzed.
He also stated that the NDC is not intimidated by the NPP’s new running mate, Dr Mathew Opoku Prempeh, who he thinks lacks the experience and strategies to mount a strong electoral campaign, as this will be his first major electoral test.
He taunted Dr. Prempeh, encouraging him to continue making mistakes that could ultimately benefit the NDC’s chances of winning.
The NDC’s parliamentary candidate for Tafo/Pankrono, Sahmudeen Mohammed Kamil, explained that the meeting’s purpose was to connect with community leaders, understand their concerns, and identify their needs ahead of the 2024 General elections.
After the meeting, they pinpointed key issues affecting the constituents, including unpaid or underpaid Islamic teachers, high youth unemployment, and the rising cost of living.
According to Sahmudeen, the NDC, under the leadership of John Dramani Mahama, intends to implement the 24-hour economy initiative to address the challenges faced by the constituents, including unemployment and high cost of living. He further stated that those who claim to be unaware of the policy are simply pretending to be ignorant, implying that the initiative is clear and well-defined.
Despite facing tough competition in the constituency, Sahmudeen remained hopeful about defeating the current Member of Parliament, Vincent Ekow Assafuah, whom he accused of being absent and ineffective in addressing the needs of the constituency. Sahmudeen emphasized that the NDC is committed to bringing about meaningful and lasting development across the country, and he encouraged voters to support the party in the upcoming elections