Karbo, Mutawakilu, to lose seats – Ben Ephson predicts

Renowned pollster, Ben Epshon is predicting some heavy weights in the governing New Patriotic Party (NDC) and the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), will fall in the December 7 parliamentary elections which is just a week away.

Member of Parliament (MP) for Lawra constituency in the Upper West Region, Anthony Abayifa Karbo who is also the Deputy Roads Minister, is one of those expected to fall big, Ephson said on the ‘Anᴐpa Bᴐfo’ morning show on Angel 102.9 FM hosted by Captain Smart on Monday, November 30, 2020.

Karbo won the seat in 2016 following a split in the NDC which resulted in a dissatisfied party supporter, Abu Samsom, to contest as an independent candidate, thereby splitting the votes there.

This time round, Ben Ephson, who is also the Editor-in-Chief of the Daily Dispatch newspaper, said Samsom has re-united with the NDC and is currently the campaign manager for the party’s candidate, Beide Ziedeng. It is expected that the votes he got in 2016 will go back to the NDC in next week’s polls.

To make matters worse for Karbo, the NPP’s constituency chairman, Alhaji Mohammed Donko, has been suspended for allegedly campaigning for the opposition NDC’s candidate in the area.

In a related development, the Damongo constituency in the North East Region is projected to witness a replay of what happened in 2016 which saw the NDC lose its seat to the NPP.

According to the pollster’s projections, Adam Mutawakilu, who speaks on Energy on the side of the Minority in Parliament, will see his seat go to the Deputy Chief of Staff, Samuel Abu Jinapor of the governing NPP, as a result of a split in the NDC in Damongo.

In the Upper East Region, the NPP is likely to see the Navorongo Central seat currently being held by Joseph Kofi Addah, go to the NDC. This is because Mr. Addah (Aviation Minister), who lost the primaries to the Regional Minister, Paulina Patience Abayage, has not been seen joining her campaign trail.

The pollster said, Mr. Addah is rather busily campaigning for a different candidate in another constituency.

In the Greater Accra Region, Ephson said the contests in Ledzokuku and Adentan constituencies where Deputy Health Minister and sitting MP, Bernard Oko Boye as well as NPP Communications Director Yaw Buaben Asamoah are seeking a second term, are “too close to call”.

This is despite his claim that “Oko-Boye is suffering seriously” in the constituency which has over the last two decades, been noted for changing their Parliamentarian just after their first fours.

The good news for Odododiodoo constituency MP, Edwin Nii Lante Vanderpuije is that, he has been projected to retain the seat irrespective of the tough opposition he is facing from his cousin, Edward Nii Lantey Bannerman of the NPP.

Klortey Korle MP, Dr. Anetor Agyemang Rawlings is set to benefit from the tragic death of his father and former president, Jerry John Rawlings, in her second term bid.

The Fisheries Minister, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye is also projected to retain her seat as MP for Krowor constituency in the Greater Accra Region.

Former Deputy Sports Minister, Vincent Sowah Odotei, may not also return to Parliament as the representative for the people in Dade Kotopong constituency, the pollster has predicted.