A Deputy General Secretary of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Boamah Otokunor, says the largest opposition party is leading almost every poll released in connection with the 2020 elections.
“Polls that have been released this year indicate that the NDC is leading [in] chances to win 2020,” he told TV3‘s Selorm Amenyah in an interview on Thursday, January 2.
Asked which polls made the predictions, Mr Otokunor mentioned particularly the Ghana Centre for Democratic Development (CDD-Ghana) and “several online polls” as predicting such an outcome in December.
The Registrar of Ghana Institute of Social Democracy (GISD), NDC’s training school, added that even internal polls conducted by the party place its chances high.
This comes in sharp contrast to the latest poll released by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), which predicts the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) holding on to power after this year’s elections based on its economic policies.
In its report released on Monday, December 30, the EIU observed that it will be difficult for the opposition NDC led by John Dramani Mahama to portray itself as better custodians of the economy than what currently pertains.
“We, therefore, expect Mr. Akufo-Addo and the NPP to secure re-election in 2020,” the report said.
But Mr Otokunor says the EIU report rather puts NDC in pole position, advising the NPP to be rather worried.
“If I were the NPP, I will be exceedingly worried by the EIU [report],” he stressed.
He indicated that the EIU was “very cautious” by stating that if the NDC is able to present its messages strongly “then we will become a force to reckon with”.
The report confirmed: “However, if the NDC can present a coherent opposition and hold the NPP to account on an unfulfilled campaign promise — particularly on infrastructure development, as well as private sector development such as job creation and industrialization, where progress has been generally slow and success patchy— the election could be closely contested.”
Mr Otokunor was, therefore, optimistic of the chances of the NDC in the December polls.
“So, if we are able to present our message very well to the people of Ghana, [the 2020 elections] will not be a difficult contest at all.”
By Emmanuel Kwame Amoh|3news.com|Ghana
Follow @kwame_amoh