Pollster Ben Ephson has warned the votes of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the Volta Region, a region that is considered their world bank in terms of votes, have dropped over the last three elections by 6.6 percent. 

This, in his view, is not good for the main opposition party.

He explained that for a party to win a general election, it would have to win more Votes in its stronghold and then share the rest of the swing regions with the other parties.

Failure to capture maximum votes in the stronghold will make winning the elections impossible, he said.

Mr Ephson who is also the Managing Editor of the Dispatch was reacting to the decision by the NDC to declare former Deputy National Youth Organiser Eric Edem Agbana as the winner of last Saturday’s parliamentary primaries in the Ketu North Constituency in the Volta Region.

The resolution was reached on Tuesday, May 16 after a special committee set up by the Functional Executive Committee (FEC) of the party.

There was a tie between Mr Agbana and John Kwabla Adanu in Saturday’s primaries, contested by eight aspirants.

Both candidates, however, went to town jubilating but the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC) insisted that it was a tie of 359 votes apiece.

Speaking to TV3, Ben Ephson said “If they think that Edem Agbana is popular they should go for a rerun, I am just talking as an observer or political analyst. If the NPP is smart and they field a popular person who is in the other man’s camp, they will win. Once it was split it means this gentleman is also popular.

“If they get someone to go independent from this man’s camp, Edem Agbana will lose the seat, and don’t be surprised the NPP will do it…”

He added “The Volta Region being the NDC’s political world bank over the last three elections NDC’s votes in the region have dropped by 6.6 percent. Before you win, you have to get as maximum votes as possible in your world bank, then you struggle with your opposing parties for the swing regions or Greater Accra, Western, and Central.

“So if in your world bank, you are losing votes you will go into the battle in the swing regions with a deficit, so the NDC can go ahead and take the region for granted. The people won’t vote for NPP, no, they will rather stay away.”