Will the NPP’s anchor hold in Wenchi?
The Wenchi Constituency is considered to be a citadel of the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition which is now represented by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in modern day politics in Ghana.
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It is so described because one of the doyens of the tradition, Professor Kofi Abrefa Busia,the Prime Minister of the Second Republic of Ghana, represented the constituency in Parliament from 1969 to 1972 when that regime was overthrown by General Kutu Acheampong in a military coup d’etat.
True to its tradition, the constituency has remained a stronghold of the NPP since the country returned to constitutional rule in 1992.
The seat was, however, occupied by the National Democratic Congress (NDC’s) Hayford Osei Kwadwo in the First Parliament of the Fourth Republic (January, 1993 to January,1997) as a result of the boycott of the 1992 parliamentary election by the NPP and other parties to protest against what they termed as “The stolen verdict” of the presidential election held earlier.
The seat was, however, reclaimed by NPP’s Alhaji Moctar Musah Bamba who gave way to the current occupant, Prof. George Yaw Gyan-Baffuor.
The Tain Constituency was carved out of the Wenchi Constituency in 2004, while the Banda Constituency was also carved out of the Tain Constituency in 2012.
Analysis of results, however, shows that the NDC is gradually gaining grounds there and Ghanaians are beginning to wonder whether the NPP will be able to hold its anchor in the constituency during the December 7 general election.
2008 Parliamentary election
The 2008 parliamentary contest in the constituency was won by Professor Gyang-Baffuor who grabbed the seat with 18,516 votes representing 56.84 per cent of the total votes cast, while the NDC candidate, Yaw Osei Agyei obtained 13,495 votes (41.43 per cent).
Other candidates who took part in that election were the DFP’s Thompson Kwaku Akotia who had 284 votes and CPP’s Abdul-Latif Omaru Abdallah, who was able to garner only 278 votes.
2012 Parliamentary election
The 2012 parliamentary election in the constituency was contested by the incumbent Professor Gyan-Baffuor, NDC’s Yaw Osei Agyei, PPP’s Ebenezer Gyimah Koomson and NDP’s Kasampa Kojo Steve Jacob.
Even though, Prof. Gyang-Baffuor retained the seat with 20,818 votes, his 56.84 per cent of the total votes cast in the 2008 election dropped to 50.83 per cent, while, NDC’s Osei Agyei’s votes of 18,660 increased in 2012 from 41.43 per cent to 45.56 per cent.
2016 Parliamentary election
The forthcoming 2016 parliamentary election in the constituency has seen the NDC changing its 2008 and 2012 parliamentary candidate (Osei Agyei) for its former Member of Parliament (MP) for the constituency, Mr Hayford Osei Kwadwo.
NDC faithful in the constituency believe that the re-emergence of Mr Osei Kwadwo is the tonic that the NDC needs to snatch the seat from the NPP.
However, NPP supporters in the constituency are convinced that their party will continue its hold on the seat, citing the incumbent MP’s performance over the years and the mismanagement of the economy as their trump card.
Constituency profile
The Wenchi Constituency is located in the western part of the Brong Ahafo Region. It is bounded to the south by the Sunyani West Constituency and to the north by the Kintampo South Constituency.
It also shares a common boundary with the Tain Constituency to the west and the Techiman Municipality to the east.
Majority of the people in the constituency derive their livelihood mainly from farming and animal husbandry.
The major towns in the constituency include Wenchi, Asuogya, Awisa, Nchiraa, Subinso No 1 and Subinso No 2, among other communities.
As one of the traditional seats for the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition since time immemorial, it will be a major feat if the NDC manages to snatch the seat in the December 7, 2016 crucial general election.
However, the NPP says it is poised to maintain the seat and increase its votes for its flag bearer, Nana Addo-Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
The sheer number of supporters that throng the campaign grounds of the candidates of both the NPP and the NDC is an indication that the race is a neck-to-neck affair.
Can Professor Gyan-Baffuor maintain his seat or lose it to NDC’s Hayford Osei Kwadwo who is poised to taste life in Parliament once more?
Will the tradition go on or the alarm bells ringing for change happen in the Wenchi Constituency? Let us wait and see.
