Majority Leader in Parliament and MP for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has delivered a passionate message to the New Patriotic Party (NPP), urging them to intensify efforts to communicate their achievements to the electorate in the Central Region.
He disputed claims that the region is a stronghold for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and attributed past electoral setbacks to the NPP’s failure to effectively showcase its accomplishments.
“Anybody who tells you that the Central Region is for the NDC is lying. It is only that we, the NPP, don’t do our homework well because the NPP is more popular in the Central Region than the NDC,” Afenyo-Markin stated.
Speaking on the Kokrokoo Morning Show with Sefa Kayi recently, the Majority leader emphasized the strategic missteps that led to the NPP’s loss of parliamentary seats to the NDC in the 2020 general elections, despite the former’s popularity in the presidential election.
He criticized the ruling NPP’s lack of grassroots mobilization and failure to counteract the NDC’s late-campaign shift in strategy, which focused on winning parliamentary seats through targeted constituency engagement.
“While the NPP was focused on the presidential elections, the NDC was focusing on the parliamentary elections. That is how come they won so many seats,” he explained.
Afenyo-Markin also pointed out the discrepancy between the NPP’s performance in the presidential and parliamentary votes in certain constituencies, suggesting a need for a more cohesive and unified campaign strategy that prevents the electorate from splitting their vote between the presidential and parliamentary candidates of different parties.
“In the 2020 elections, the NDC knew they were going to lose the presidential elections, so they strategized on getting more parliamentary seats.”
“For instance, George Andah lost in Ewutu Senya West by less than 2,000 votes, but Akufo-Addo in the same constituency won by more than 2000 votes,” he remarked, underscoring the effectiveness of the NDC’s ‘skirt and blouse’ strategy and the urgent need for the NPP to adjust their approach.
The Majority Leader praised President Akufo-Addo’s development initiatives in the Central Region, particularly highlighting the construction of roads and the establishment of landing beaches as evidence of the government’s commitment to improving the lives of the local populace.
“The developmental work that President Akufo-Addo has done in the Central Region is so massive. For example, the road from Kasoa to Winneba that we have talked about so many times is now being constructed,” he said, adding, “Since Akufo-Addo came, he has constructed not less than 12 landing beaches at major coastal towns in Ghana.”
Afenyo-Markin’s call to action for the NPP is a clarion call for the party to deepen its engagement with constituents, prioritize the distribution of resources equitably, and robustly promote its developmental achievements to ensure the continued support of the Central Region.
“As politicians and MPs, we should make ourselves available to our constituents. Don’t be in a position where your bodyguards are always around you and preventing people from getting in touch with you personally,” he advised, emphasizing the importance of personal interaction and inclusivity in political campaigning.
The NPP, he said, faces a crucial test in the Central Region and stressed that what happened in 2020 should serve not only as a wake-up call but also as a roadmap for reclaiming and solidifying the party’s presence and influence in the region.
