Global InfoAnalytics Executive Director Mussa Dankwah says the absence of Bernard Antwi Boasiako, popularly known as Chairman Wontumi, from the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) National Chairman race could have changed the outcome of the election by splitting votes among key contenders.
He said Wontumi’s participation could have created an opportunity for another candidate, particularly Agyarko, to secure an unexpected victory by drawing support from voters who eventually backed John Boadu.
Mr Dankwah made the observation while responding to questions about how Wontumi’s presence could have influenced the party’s national chairman election and the polling projections.
Explaining the voting pattern, he said John Boadu appeared to have benefited from delegates who prioritised party unity and believed he was better positioned to bring the different factions of the NPP together.
According to him, delegates assessed the personalities of the candidates and considered John Boadu to have fewer political liabilities that could undermine efforts to unite the party.
He further explained that John Boadu had not been involved in any presidential ambition and had not made comments that could be interpreted as hostility towards particular individuals within the party.
He contrasted this with Boakye Agyarko, who in the final week of the campaign, had to defend himself against certain comments and criticisms that appeared to affect his standing among delegates.
“If you look at the last week of the campaign, Agyarko had to defend himself against certain comments, and those sentiments and the comments were really dragging him down. So people didn’t feel that he is the one that can really bring all sides together. That’s why they went for John Boyd,” he said.
Mr Dankwah suggested that Wontumi’s participation could have altered the distribution of votes, particularly among delegates whose preferences overlapped with those of Boyd and Wintemi.
“I think if he was in the race, that could have given Agyarko a surprise win, because the people voting for John Boadu would have been the same people voting for Wontumi. So they was clear the vote. It gave Wintemi the last push he needed to win the election,” Mr Dankwah said.
He further pointed to the voting demographics of the other contenders, including Paul Afoko and Agyarko as evidence that the distribution of support among the candidates was an important factor in determining the outcome.
Mr Dankwah observed that the combined votes of Boakye and Paul Afoko exceeded the votes secured by John Boadu, suggesting that the candidates drew support from different groups of delegates and that changes in the composition of the race could have affected the final results.
His analysis highlights how the entry or absence of a major contender can influence voting patterns in an internal party election, particularly where candidates appeal to overlapping groups of delegates.
The comments also underscore the role of perceptions about unity, political baggage and relationships within the party in shaping delegates’ choices during the NPP’s National Chairman race.
Source: Newspyramid.com
