General News of Monday, 19 November 2018

Source: starrfmonline.com

NDC polls: Volta caucus miscalculated – Ephson

Pollster Ben Ephson play videoPollster Ben Ephson

Pollster Ben Ephson has blamed the Volta caucus in the National Democratic Congress for their inability to clinch any position in the National executive body at the just ended congress of the party.

It comes after former national women organizer Anita Desoso raised concerns over the nonexistence of a Voltarian in the new executive body of the party after she lost her bid to be deputy national organiser.

Reacting to the comment, Mr. Ephson said the outcome of the polls shows that the NDC delegates decided to choose competence over regional balance.

“Anita De Sooso got only about 300 votes when she contested but that doesn’t mean only 300 people from the Volta Region voted. One can tell that delegates voted for quality and not based on Regionality. In terms of organization and being in touch with the roots, Anita lacked that and that was why the number of votes she got didn’t surprise me.

“ The Volta caucus did not calculate well. If Mahama wins as the flagbearer of the NDC, it will not be advisable for him to choose a Voltarian or Ga as a running mate. He will have to take an Akan as a running mate for balance,” he told Francis Abban on the Morning Starr Monday.

The managing editor of the Dispatch newspaper also noted that the newly elected chairman of the NDC Samuel Ofosu Ampofo will deal with perceptions that the general secretary Johnson Asiedu Nketia is a dictator in the party.

“There is the need for the party to have conflict resolution mechanisms. I don’t think Ofosu Ampofo as Chairman will sit down for the Regional Executives not to have resources to work. If Ofosu Ampofo hasn’t changed, Asiedu Nketia wouldn’t misbehave”.