Former Member of Parliament for Anyaa Sowutuom, Dr. Dickson Adomako Kissi, has attributed the low voter turnout during the Ablekuma North parliamentary rerun to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) indecision and lack of clarity leading up to the polls.
Dr. Kissi stated that voter confusion and uncertainty stemmed from the party’s wavering stance on whether to participate in the rerun. This situation ultimately affected NPP’s performance at the ballot box.
“I must admit the party was not very decisive leading up to this, and that may have also contributed to the lower voter turnout.
“People thought about whether we were partaking or not. Bad news travels faster than good news; once you say you’re not going, everybody hears. But when you say you are going and are campaigning on the ground, then people become aware,” he said.
Dr. Kissi also accused the National Democratic Congress (NDC) of engaging in voter suppression tactics during the rerun, citing acts of intimidation in what he described as a calculated effort to silence the NPP’s base in a traditionally strong-hold constituency.
“What happened in Ablekuma North was largely voter suppression in grand style. The constituency has largely been an NPP stronghold, so if you’re the NDC, the best thing you can do is suppress voters by intimidation. This was a clear case of a voter suppression scheme or scandal,” he asserted.
His comments follow the violence that marred the rerun held on Friday, July 11, in 19 polling stations across the Ablekuma North Constituency. The Electoral Commission (EC) had called for the rerun after identifying irregularities in the collation process, particularly, a failure by some Presiding Officers to validate scanned pink sheet results.
The rerun became a major flashpoint between the EC and the NPP, with the party’s General Secretary, Justin Kodua Frimpong, strongly rejecting the Commission’s decision. Mr. Kodua maintained that the party’s parliamentary candidate, Nana Akua Afriyie, had won the original election and that all verification and collation procedures were properly followed.
Despite the party’s official boycott, Nana Akua Afriyie defied the directive and contested the rerun. In the outcome, the NDC’s Ewurabena Aubynn emerged victorious with 34,090 votes, narrowly defeating Afriyie, who garnered 33,881 votes.
However, Nana Akua Owusu Afriyie has rendered an unqualified apology to the party’s National Council for defying its directive to boycott the recent parliamentary rerun in 19 polling stations.
