Presidential Elections: Akan candidate will do better for NPP – Musa Dankwa

Mussa Dankwa, Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, shared his thoughts on the dynamics of Ghanaian politics, particularly within the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

Speaking on Good Evening Ghana with Paul Adom Otchere, Dankwa highlighted the importance of ethnic identity in Ghanaian elections.

“The demographics of the NPP voters are largely Akans,” Dankwa noted.

“Now you have an Akan base but your candidate comes from a different tribe, it will be difficult to galvanize the Akans. There are people who are NPP just because they are Akans. They feel the NPP is their party. So when you give the Akan what is alien to them, it will be difficult to galvanize them.”

Mr. Dankwa’s comments suggest that the NPP’s decision to choose Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia as their flagbearer may have alienated some of their traditional Akan supporters.

He said Kennedy Agyapong, an Akan, would have performed better against John Dramani Mahama than Bawumia did.

“During the polling season, when you put an Akan candidate against John Dramani Mahama, the gap shifts. Kennedy Agyapong was doing better against John Dramani Mahama than Bawumia did,” Dankwa stated.

This perspective is supported by data from Global InfoAnalytics. Dankwa’s analysis shows that the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 elections was not due to a single event, but rather a combination of voter discontent that began to take shape as far back as 2022.

Dankwa’s comments are part of an ongoing debate within the NPP about the role of ethnicity in Ghanaian elections. His insights encourage the party to look more closely at the reasons behind its electoral defeat.