Despite the governing National Democratic Congress’ (NDC) increasing share of votes in the Ashanti Region from past elections, it will be a miracle if the party polls more than 300,000 votes in the 2016 presidential and parliamentary elections, Sam Pyne, the General Secretary of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), has stated.
Mr Pyne made the remarks on the same day the NDC launched its campaign, targeting one million votes for President John Mahama in December’s polls.
The NDC has since 2008 increased its share of votes in the Ashanti Region – the stronghold of the NPP – winning 28% of votes cast in the 2012 elections, representing 611, 604.
But Mr Pyne is adamant 2016 will see the NDC lose ground to the NPP. He said these in reaction to comments by Deputy Minister of Defence Kenneth Adjei, as he addressed NDC faithful at the party’s campaign launch in Kumasi, that though the NPP had always resorted to electoral violence, supporters should not be afraid to turn out and vote massively for the party on December 7 since the president had tasked military men and the police to protect citizens and forestall violence before, during and after the elections in the region.
Mr Agyei stated: “You all know that here in Kumasi they (NPP) resort to violence when it comes to elections. For this year’s elections, our president has tasked the military and police to ensure everyone is protected from danger. So I urge you that when the time comes, no one should remain indoors; everyone should go out and vote.”
Dismissing the the deputy minister’s comments on Accra News on Saturday October 15, Mr Pyne noted that with the NPP commanding most of the votes in the region, it would make no sense to want to visit mayhem on voters and prevent them from casting their ballots.
According to him, the history of electoral violence in the region weighed against the NDC which, in 2012, following the introduction of biometric voter registration and voting, formed a task force to raid the office of the Electoral Commission in Kumasi, destroying equipment and assaulting some individuals.
Mr Pyne also accused Ashanti Regional Minister Alexander Ackon of urging NDC supporters, during a rally in the Ahafo Ano South East constituency two weeks ago, not to be afraid to attack any supporter of the NPP if provoked, since the party would arrange bail for them should they be arrested.
“I believe the National Peace Council, civil society bodies, and men of God are listening. We will remain vigilant but if it is a plot they have hatched in the Ashanti Region, it will not materialise,” assured Mr Pyne.
He played down talk that tensions were rising in the Ashanti Region ahead of elections in December and promised that his party would trounce the NDC in the upcoming polls.
“There is no tension [in the Ashanti Region],” he explained, assuring: “The 600,000 votes they (NDC) obtained in 2012, they will not get that this year. If they get more than 300,000 [votes], that will be a miracle. There is no tension but if they are the ones going to cause violence, then they should be careful.”
Source: accrafm
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NPP shd open their eyes very well during the elections bcs there Is clandestine move by NDC to get their 1m votes. They ar hatching a cruel plot to materialize this ambitious project. Ah we know them to be smart and witty whn it comes to elections!! They will use all manner of intimidating schemes in Ashanti Region: already stuffed ballot box, use of uniformed men especially military n police, malfunctioning biometric equipment, late arrival of election materials, use of macho men, poor radio transmission waves/lines, allowing elections to eat into the night to carry out some obnoxious n nefarious activities etc. Pls A/R NPP, outsmart them. ......For warn is to for arm.....'blind man will promise to stone u bcs he is already stepping on one. Food for thought.
Mo to nyinaa ada adi pefee , obiara nntena ho mma obi nnsisi obi biem . Yebegyina ho afee yen ani pefee kopem se yebebobo biribiara , na yasowa Nana be NPP , The battle is still the lords
Stop fighting for what is not your own and let mahamma entoaso(J M toaso!!)
Hmmmm, Npp will laugh at the wrong side of their mouth come Dec 7.Even those who attended the campaign launch were more than that 300000 people so what is the cry for. I am in the region but didn't show up at the launch but yet vote for Ndc
just as uve been making ug**ly noises at the corner too so if sam pyne is a corpse then i wonder what u are oo cos he is 10times better than u
HAHAHAHAHAAA SO THIS IS THE FACE THAT KSK KEPT READING HIS S2.PID MESSAGES??? IS HE A CORPSE??? NO WONDER THEY MAKE UG.LY NOISES. THE CORONER THAT WILL DRESS HIS CORPSE WILL HAVE A REAL HARD TIME. MY FRIENDS HERE CANT STOP LAUGHING HERE.
Don't give them the chance as if, when people go to the polls, anyone knows who is going to vote for whoever. Npp and comedies. Ndc had over 600000 in 2012, so realistically if they would not increase their votes it would be unconscionable for any ediot to think that it would a miracle for them to get 300000 votes. Are those 600000 who voted for ndc dead? Sam Payne, Sam payne, Sam payne, is he this ***barred word*** chap? Just a question.
Insults, insults insults were all that the NDC converged in kumasi to do. Very pity that grown ups like Koku Anyidoho went so low to Insult Bawumia, He forgot that The Chief imam, Shalibitu Recently Said that Bawumia is very Sensible person. Now that NDC Koku Anyidoho Is insulting Bawumia, It means NDC and Koku are Insulting The Chief Imam
Don't give them the chance,if John mahama thinks he is going to use the security to intimidate then he is asking for the war and those Ashantis in the military and old soldiers must not allow this idi*t of a president who is incompetent to use their region for his family,friends and cronies government. The Youth of Ashanti must get prepared for what these people have for them and respond accordingly. The regional minister is not an Ashanti and doesn't care about you,this is the time for Otumfuo to warn these kriminals not to use his land as their battlefield. I miss Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh such nons*nse will never pass by in Asanteman. Otumfuo Osei Tutu put your feet down and warn these idi*ts before they destroy your land. They are like pigs when you play with them send you into their mud,and they think being nice to them means you are with them so let them know who you are and act like Otumfuo Sir Osei Agyeman Prempeh who wouldn't tolerate these people a day even Otumfuo Opoku Ware wouldn't give them that chance. This is the time for you also to show who you are to these pigs.Rawlings mpo antumi na mahama. Akronfuo gang.