Kwame Gyan
December 11, 2012
If Selorm votes for NDC in Kpando, he’s voting on tribal lines but if Agyeman votes NPP at Kwadaso he’s voting on issues.
Dear friends,
The elections are over but have left in its wake some serious and quite sentimental issues. I would not have commented on it because I think I have out grown and gotten immune to it but I think it has become imperative for me to share my opinion on it.
After the results started trickling in till the declaration by the EC, Voltarians (ayigbefoo) and zongo communities (ntafoo) have received a lot flaking and have been described by very wild and all manner of unpalatable words because of their voting patterns. So I want to ask….there’s everything right and not tribal for Bantama to vote 50k+ for the NPP but there’s everything wrong for Ketu South to vote same numbers for NDC and it is tribalistic in highest order. Why do we behave as if a particular group of people or tribe’s thinking is superior to the other? Admittedly there is tribalism in our politics and voting patterns and if that is a crime then I believe Ashantis and Ewes and other tribes are equally guilty. If we can have such condescending opinion of ourselves why the heck should we have beef if another race thinks of us as an inferior race?
I somehow thought politics was about the course of action adopted to be pursued by a government. We get your point Tonyi but seriously with the turn out some Regions have out grown others in the actual meaning of politic, that is if the result put out there by the EC is even credible…………….How attractive and believable has party policies been? EC’s credibility was spoken of way before this election and here we are with the footprints of what was spoken of. This post will be viewed from all angles after necessary attention is paid to the boiling discrepancies.
What we refuse to assess is that Kumasi is becoming cosmopolitan hence, if one analyses where the votes for the NDC were coming from one will realise that they are from the settler zones. Hence, the assumption that some people have out-grown others is absolutely false.
My Father parents were Ga and Ewe, My mother is akyem, I have loads of friends who are my friends because I like them , and not because of where they come from, or what party they support …..this ethnic nonsense scares me to bits! I agree with you bro…we need to check this actively or one day we will all reap the whirl-wind………….
WOOW, U HIT THE NAIL RIGHT ON ITS HEAD.
Well, I thought I was the only one who’s observed this. My mum’s friend (an staunch NPP) said something yesterday about my brother voting for NDC because of Rawlings. Then my brother told her that he had voted for Kufuor in ’04 and asked her if she had ever voted for NDC before. She kept quiet.
The annoying tendencies of NPPians ( mostly Ashantis) to prejudicially assume anyone who is not from Kumasi is of the opposition actually alienates people from voting for them. That attitude makes people feel disrespected. If you observe closely, the NDC got most votes from a diverse array of voters from many different ethnic backgrounds; Nzema, Ewe, Ga, Krobo, Adamgbe, Northerners, Aowin.
The NDC could not have won on a single ethnic voting pattern. The NPP could have just be a little respectful and they would always have won but they continue making the same mistakes over and over again.
Tony, I am sure you very much familiar with the politics of the world. In the recent American elections Obama won in a lesser number of states than Romney. However American don’t chose their presidents based on popular votes. Romney won the majority of the popular votes. So your assertion that because Nana won just in two regions so he” can’t be president” is very flawed. Your write up started nicely but fell on rocks. If he got majority of the votes in these two regions and that gave him numbers enough to win so be it.
I agree, Marcus. Politics is about numbers..you can have all your votes even coming from one region..but if your total number of votes (from that one region) outnumbers the rest of the nine regions put together, you will win
Liar! Obama won both the popular and electoral votes! Get your facts right!
Facts and feelings are two different things nice article
Your analysis is very flaw, weak and lucks substance. Your comparison of Bantama and Ketu is apples and oranges. It is not the voting quantity per say that matters; its the intent of the voting. . Bantama is in Kumasi, yes but the population of bantama is not all Asantis. There are people from the north, east, volta, accra; everywhere living in Bantama. So although its in Kumasi; the residents there are diverse and so the 50K count you hear is evidence that the people in bantama are not voting on tribal grounds but issues and substance unlike the Ketu where its not/less diverse. Secondly, Bantama may have 50K for NPP but NDC will have a fair 15K or some but in the Ketu area you realise; NDC may get 50K with NPP getting 2 votes: thats a strong indication of tribal voting.That is the reason why, not what you surmise above.
I was expecting a more concise and thorough analysis (void of emotions) than this. No disrespect but the author fails to say anything new here.