As the NDC primaries draw near, there is considerable attention focused on the Sagnarigu Constituency, which has the potential to be one of the most fiercely contested areas.
Even though a cosmopolitan area, Sagnarigu is purely traditional constituency. Interest groups, have highlighted that the constituency would be one of the keenly contested due to its specific issues and dynamics as far as the political climate of the area is concerned.
In writing this opinion, I’ve carefully evaluated the future prospects of the Sagnarigu constituency, and given significant thought to the distinctive characters and challenges of the area, as well as the current political landscape.
After a political career spanning 16 years, ABA will encounter one of the toughest challenges within his own party for the first time. Despite being a journalist, the incumbent MP has faced difficulties in establishing positive relationships with journalists and constituents, leading to unfavorable media coverage and a tarnished public image.
ABA’s failure to establish and maintain positive connections has also caused a lack of support from his own party and grassroot members.
As the NDC approaches the primaries on Saturday, May 13 2023, voters are more inclined to support candidates they feel a personal connection with, and believe will effectively represent their interests.
In my opinion, despite being an experienced politician, ABA has been unsuccessful in building strong relationships, which may affect his chances of winning the primaries.
The incumbent NDC northern caucus chairman, is perceived as lacking empathy and failing to address the needs of the economically disadvantaged in the Sagnarigu area.
This has resulted in a loss of support, especially among voters who prioritize social issues and equality. ABA is expected to demonstrate a commitment to social justice, inclusivity, and efforts to alleviate poverty and uplift marginalized communities, but he has failed woefully to recognize the welfare and support for the less privileged populations are significant concerns for many voters.
Aside from these factors, ABA’s poor performance, policy failures, broken promises, and overall abysmal performance are likely to impact his chances of retaining his seat in the upcoming Parliamentary primaries.
Taking into account the two dominant parties, (NPP/NDC ) and comparing ABA’s performance statistics against NPP candidates in Sagnarigu, it’s become evidently clear that the incumbent MP is losing touch with the NDC grassroots and voters in the constituency.
In the 2012 Parliamentary elections, ABA won with a 79% majority, while the NPP candidate received only 19% of the votes.
However, in 2016, ABA’s margin of victory declined by approximately 8%, his total votes dropped from 79% to 71% but he managed to defeat the current deputy chief whip of the governing NPP, & MP for Tolon, Habib Iddrisu.
And in the 2020 election, ordinary voters had lost confidence in ABA’s parliamentary duties, with his vote share dropping to 34,989 representing 56.96% of the total valid votes cast while Felicia Tettey for the NPP received 26,434 votes, accounting for 43.04% of the total votes.
The consistent decline in votes for ABA indicates a complete lack of confidence in the MP among voters. It’s my projection therefore that ABA will most likely lose the Sagnarigu bid to represent the NDC.
Source:Mybrytfmonline.com
