Member of Parliament for Suame and Minister of Parliamentary Affairs, Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, has urged voters in the Ashanti Region to support the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the upcoming December 7 general election.
He warned that the NPP could lose to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) if the latter secures 30% of the votes in the region.
In an interview with Angel TV, Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu stressed the importance of an intensified NPP campaign to ensure high voter turnout. He said:
In previous years, the Ashanti region gave the NDC the second highest number of votes after the Volta before it was split. They have intensified efforts to gain more votes, and if the NDC garners 30% in Ashanti, they have won the election. This is why John Mahama is campaigning in the region.
Responding to the large turnout at John Dramani Mahama's Kumasi rally, dubbed "Enti Asanteman aseda ni?", Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu accused the NDC of busing supporters to the event.
He claimed:
Everybody knows that they instructed every constituency to bring at least 2,000 supporters to the event, even from neighbouring regions like Bono, Ahafo, and the Eastern Regions. They were all bused; it is the NDC’s known tactics ahead of elections.
He further warned NPP supporters about the dangers of voter apathy:
Action speaks louder than words; don’t be deceived by fancy talkers. What we need to do is get people out of their homes to cast their ballots.
Over 3.2 million voters are expected to cast their ballots in the Ashanti region, which analysts consider a decisive factor in the presidential election. While the NPP aims for 85% of the votes, the NDC expects to secure over 30%.