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Alexander Gyan — NPP and Felicia Adjei  — NDC
Alexander Gyan — NPP and Felicia Adjei — NDC

Profile of Kintampo South Constituency

The Kintampo South seat has, since its creation in 2004, been occupied by the incumbent National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament, Mr Yaw Effah-Baafi, despite frantic efforts by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to add it to its seats in the region one election after the other.

The battle has, since the creation of the constituency, been between the incumbent MP and NPP’s Yaw Adjei Duffuor, who was a Deputy Brong Ahafo Regional Minister during the Kufuor administration.

Mr Effah-Baafi won the maiden parliamentary election in the constituency on December 7, 2004 with 14,040 votes out of the 24,869 total votes cast (56.5 per cent).

In the 2008 election, Mr Effah-Baafi retained his seat with 13,009 votes representing 54.4 per cent of the 23,921 total votes cast. That also represented a drop of 2.1 per cent of the percentage of votes he had in 2008.

In that election, Mr Adjei-Duffuor had 10,633. representing 44.45 per cent of the total valid votes cast while the Peoples National Convention (PNC) candidate, Joseph Atomeh Koranteng, obtained just 279 votes representing 1.17 per cent.

In the 2012 general election, the MP retained his seat with 15,552 votes representing 55.48 per cent out of the total valid votes of 28,033 while Mr Adjei-Duffuor had 11,467 votes which represented 40.91 per cent.

The above analysis is an indication that while Mr Effah-Baafi increased his percentage of votes in 2008 from 54.4 to 55.48 in 2012, the NPP’s Adjei-Duffuor reduced his percentage of votes in 2008 from 44.45 per cent to 40.91 in 2012.

In that election, the Progressive Peoples Party (PPP) candidate, Mr Noble Seth Ankoma Sakyie, came third with 941 votes (3.36 per cent) while a fourth candidate, the PNC’s Joseph Atomeh Koranteng, had his 279 votes in 2008 reduced to 73 (0.26 per cent).

Change of candidates in 2016

Following the inability of the two protagonists to contest the 2016 general election due to one reason or  another, the mantle has now fallen on the NDC’s Felicia Adjei and the NPP’s Alexander Gyan to continue with the battle for supremacy by the two parties in the constituency.

They have since winning their respective primaries been criss-crossing the length and breadth of the constituency to increase their chances of winning the seat.

When the Daily Graphic visited the constituency it realised that the two candidates are quite serious about their bids as they have displayed their posters on every available electric pole, trees and buildings.

Will the status quo remain during the 2016 general election or will the NPP win the seat for the first time now that incumbent Effah-Baafi and the NPP’s Adjei-Duffuor are not contesting the seat?

Felicia Adjei was optimistic about her chances of retaining the seat for her party when she spoke to this reporter earlier.

Her supporters were also optimistic that the NPP has no chance to snatch the seat from the NDC when their constituency continues to witness massive infrastructural development under the NDC government.

“The NPP can never win this seat. We are comfortable under the NDC and we will give Antie Felicia a chance to continue from where Mr Effah-Baafi left off,” one enthusiastic female supporter who wanted to remain anonymous told this reporter at Jema, both the district and constituency capital of Kintampo South.

At a recent visit of the NPP flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to the constituency, some NPP supporters openly stated that the days of the NDC’s dominance in the area would come to an end after this year’s general election.

“We are optimistic that the NDC’s days in the Kintampo South Constituency are numbered,” an NPP supporter told the Daily Graphic.

Constituency profile

The Kintampo South Constituency, which is also the Kintampo South District, with its capital as Jema, was created in 2004.

Apart from the capital, other major towns in the constituency include Amoma, Ampoma, Anyima, Apesika, Chirenhin, Krabonso, Nante, Ntankoro and Pramposo.

The Kintampo South District or Constituency, according to the 2010 Population and Housing Census, is 81,000 with more males (52.0 per cent) than females (48 per cent).

Nine in every 10 (91.1 per cent) of the population reside in rural areas while 8.9 per cent are in urban areas. The population of the constituency is youthful with more than two-fifth (43.3 per cent) aged below 15 years.

Economic status

Agriculture is the mainstay of the economy of the Kintampo South Constituency with 80.5 per cent of employed population engaged as skilled agricultural, forestry and fishery workers, 6.4 per cent engaged in service and sales works and 4.8 per cent engaged in craft and related trade.

Cash crops such as cashew, ginger and mango have been identified with the capacity to boost economic growth and reduce poverty. Crop farming is the highest agricultural activity of about 98.2 per cent.

Conclusion

The Kintampo South Constituency will prove to be a test case for both the NDC and the NPP during the 2016 general election. Will the status quo remain or will the NPP break the jinx and win the seat for the first time? The Election Day will definitely decide.

 

 

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