Augustus Andrew Nana Akwasi, the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), has expressed scepticism about the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) ambitious target for the 2024 general elections in the Ashanti region.

Speaking on Abusua FM in Kumasi with Kojo Marfo, Nana Akwasi described the ruling party’s goal of securing over 85% of the votes in its stronghold as unrealistic.

Nana Akwasi suggested that even achieving 70% might be a challenge for the governing party. “They will even beg for 70% of the votes,” he claimed. He emphasized that the NDC is running a grassroots, door-to-door campaign to engage with the electorate and present the party’s manifesto policies.

According to him, voters are responding positively to the NDC’s message and are prepared to vote for the opposition party, provided their votes are protected.

NDC to Protest Against Electoral Commission

Nana Akwasi urged all NDC supporters in the Ashanti region to participate in the party’s nationwide protest against the Electoral Commission (EC). The demonstration is set to take place across all 16 regions, and in the Ashanti region, members will gather at the party’s regional office at 7 a.m. on Tuesday, 17th September 2024.

The planned protest route will cover key areas in Kumasi, including Amakom, Asafo, Adum, and Ridge Police Station, before concluding at the EC’s regional office in Danyame, where a petition will be presented to the Ashanti Regional Director of the EC, Francis Osei-Nsiah.

Nana Akwasi warned that NDC supporters would camp at the EC office if their concerns were not addressed. “Our supporters will sleep at the Electoral Commission if the director fails to meet our expectations,” he said.

Allegations of Election Rigging

Addressing concerns about election fairness, the NDC chairman accused the NPP of plotting to rig the upcoming elections. He claimed that the NPP had openly discussed plans to cheat during the polls but assured NDC supporters that the party is prepared to safeguard every vote in the Ashanti region. “We are fully ready to protect every single vote we will get in Ashanti. All we need is your vote, and the NPP can never cheat us again,” Nana Akwasi declared.

He added that the protest aims to expose what he described as the “evil agenda” between the NPP and the EC ahead of the elections.

This latest development underscores the rising tensions as the 2024 elections draw closer, with both major parties intensifying their campaign efforts in the country’s most populous region.

Criticism of Road Works in Dakodwom

During the interview, Nana Akwasi also called for the arrest of the contractor working on the Dakodwom to TUC Junction road, accusing the contractor of performing substandard work. “I’m very disappointed with the ongoing work. It’s the taxpayers’ money being wasted, and we must ensure the contractor does it right,” he asserted.