NPP could lose 400,000 votes if parliamentary candidates are hand-picked - Ben Epshon

Pollster Ben Ephson is predicting the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) will lose not less than 400,000 votes the December 2020 general elections should the party sidestep its primaries and hand-pick parliamentary candidates.

He explained that apathy will set in if parliamentary candidates are picked and imposed on voters especially in their strongholds.

Mr Epshon claimed on the Sunrise morning show on 3FM that the NPP has served notice it will handpick its parliamentary candidates for the elections in view of the coronavirus outbreak which has infected 5,735 people in Ghana and killed 29 others.

Such move, he warned, will spell disaster for the party in the elections if it goes ahead to implement, indicating it will create pain and bitterness among the voters.

“They (NPP) have made the attempt to protect some sitting MPs,” Mr Ephson said.

“That idea, even before COVID-19, surfaced they had been trying to protect some sitting MPs and trying to disqualify others.

“There were statements that in view of COVID-19 they could decide to hand-pick parliamentary candidates for the various constituencies. If they did Nana Akufo-Addo could go into the 2020 elections minus at least 400,000 votes.

“That is if they decide to avoid elections of their primaries,” he stated

When host of the show, Alfred Ocansey, asked him how he arrived at that conclusion, he explained that; “The two main parties have 110 seats which are safe for them..."



“The NPP safe seats are quite a bit populated and in 2016 they won on the average of 11,500 to 13,800 in those 110 seats.

“Now, trying to protect the MPs you are going to disenfranchise others. In 2008 that was happened and they paid dearly for it with apathy.

“NDC paid dearly for apathy at the grassroots because the government was distanced from the party.

“Now if even of the 110 seats they decide to handpick, and even 4000 per constituency decides not to go and vote because they know that they have almost won by 11,000, you are talking about 4000 votes per constituency, times 100, that will give you 400,000 votes.”

Meanwhile the general secretary of the NPP, Mr John Boadu said the party is yet to decide whether or not to handpick the candidates for the elections.