On your marks in KEEA
The political history of the Komenda Edina Eguafo Abrem (KEEA) Constituency is an interesting one. The people understand politics and play it, to their own gallery.
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It is a seat for doctors and has over the years, by some sheer conventional impudence, held on to this.
The interplay of this has allowed the three major parties since the Fourth Republic, the National Democratic Congress (NDC), the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the Convention People’s Party (CPP) to all have a taste of the seat.
But the seat has been held most times by the ruling NDC.
The journey of the constituency began with the NDC’s Dr Ato Quarshie, who won it in 1992.
Dr Quarshie retained the seat in 1996 and for the third consecutive time in 2000.
He had by this established the seat as an NDC seat.
But Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom, now flag bearer of the Progressive People’s Party (PPP) had by then worked his way into the hearts and minds of the people.
While Dr Quarshie polled 16,908 votes representing 46.3 per cent, Dr Nduom, then of the CPP, polled 15,941 votes representing 43.7 per cent.
The NPP’s George Manso-Howard polled 3,477 representing 9.5 per cent, while the People's National Convention’s (PNC) John Assifuah-Nunoo polled 178 votes representing 0.5 per cent of the votes.
NPP/CPP Alliance
Dr Nduom, a then Minister of State in the Kufuor administration, was supported by the New Patriotic Party to contest the seat in 2004.
So in 2004, the NPP did not field a parliamentary candidate, declaring its support for Dr Nduom.
And so the parliamentary election was a straight contest between the CPP’s Dr Papa Kwesi Nduom and NDC’s new Veronica Essuman Nelson.
Dr Nduom efforts to develop, his experience in local politics and the support the NPP declared for him was too much for new Veronica Nelson. The results said it all. Dr Nduom polled 30,981 representing 66.8 per cent, while Veronica Essuman Nelson had 15,427 representing 33.2 per cent.
The rule of the CPP was short-lived when the NDC returned to its winning ways in the constituency.
The return of NDC
In 2008, the NDC’s Dr Joseph Samuel Annan came on the scene to win the seat with 22,746 votes representing 48.8 per cent of the votes.
The NPP’s Nana Ato Arthur polled 19,288 votes, leaving the CPP’s Joachim Bruku Eshun with 4,545 votes in that election.
Whilst the win again stamped the NDC’s authority in the constituency, it was also a consolidation of the fact or myth that the seat was for doctors.
Interesting 2012
The constituency election was set on an interesting platform and a showdown of all political powers in the 2012 election.
In that election, the NDC’s Dr Annan had obviously lost popularity with the people.
With this loss of popularity, Dr Quarshie, the party’s stalwart and ever-loved MP, who had held the seat from 1992 to 2000, staged an infamous comeback.
But Dr Quarshie was beaten at the primary. A determined and peeved Dr Quarshie went on to contest the election as an independent candidate.
So that election was contested by the NDC’s Dr Annan, the NPP’s Dr Ato Arthur and Independent candidate, Dr Quarshie. The NDC was obviously divided with one half supporting Dr Annan while the other supported Dr Quarshie.
The result was an interesting one.
The two “NDC” candidates, Dr Quarshie and Dr Annan had divided the votes of the NDC.
Dr Quarshie, polled 15,561 votes representing 26.81 per cent of the votes, while Dr Annan polled 13, 962 representing 24.05 per cent of the votes.
The PPP’s Doreen Maison had polled 6,233 representing 10.74 per cent of the votes with Okatakyi Kweku Ackon of the DPP polling 142 of the votes.
This left Dr Nana Ato Arthur with only a wining choice, polling 22,151 of the votes representing 38.16 per cent.
2016
In this year’s election, the NDC has Samuel Atta-Mills against NPP’s experienced Dr Arthur. Two other candidates from other political parties have already picked their nomination forms. They are Mr John Sterlin of the PPP and Mrs Rose Austin Tenadu of the CPP.
Mr Samuel Atta-Mills, brother of the late President John Evans Atta-Mills, has his name working for him than his experience in politics.
But Mr Atta-Mills said he believed it was time for the NDC to recapture the KEEA seat.
He indicated that NDC lost the seat due to the division among its rank and has, therefore, pledged to work to win the seat for the NDC.
Jinx to be broken or not?
Dr Arthur believes the doctor myth associated with the seat will again work magic in this year’s election.
Dr Arthur said he would build on his past achievement for future sustainable development which he said was anchored on his Elmina 2015 Strategy when he was the district chief executive.
“My vision is to continue empowering both farmers and fishermen in the community.
Uphill task
But if the NDC stands by its resolve to unite for the 2016 election, the NPP’s Dr Arthur would have an uphill task retaining the seat this year.
The PPP also presents Mr John Sterlin. He is certainly the weakest of the three, considering party strengths.
But he is unperturbed. He is also actively embarking on his door to door campaign.
If given the mandate, he said he would ensure cottage industries are developed through cooperatives to add value to resources in the area to create wealth for the people, while supporting fishing industry too.
The PPP made an impact in the elections in 2012 but not enough to win them the seat though their flag bearer once held the seat on the ticket of the CPP.
The CPP held the seat when it presented Dr Nduom as its candidate. The people in the area also know the CPP well.
Mrs Austin Tenadu said her priority would be to empower the women and the youth socially, economically and morally to change their lives for the better.
