The Mayor of Kumasi, Sam Pyne, has said propaganda by the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is the likely cause of voter apathy in the Ashanti Region.
Pyne was responding to a report by Global InfoAnalytics, which suggests a surge in voter apathy in the Ashanti and Greater Accra Regions ahead of the December 2024 elections.
This trend, according to Pyne, is bound to happen when governments have been in power for two consecutive terms.
The report indicates that the Ashanti Region’s voting patterns could significantly impact both major parties, particularly the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
It reveals that 23% of respondents have no plans to vote.
Speaking on Asaase Radio’s Big Bulletin on Tuesday (2 April), the Kumasi Mayor attributed this apathy to the opposition National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) efforts to portray the ruling NPP as having done nothing for the Ashanti Region.
Pyne stated, “This is a general thing if you talk about apathy in election especially when governments have been there for two terms, some of these things are bound to happen. And I know when you come to the Ashanti Region, there was a concerted effort by the NDC especially to create the impression that we have done nothing for the region and they look at it that yes Ashanti Region is the vote belt of the NPP.
“They keep on deceiving people by not even talking about the Volta Region and the Northern parts of the country where they garner most of their votes and where they’ve done nothing for them. This propaganda has been in the system for the past three years and therefore definitely there is a possibility of it having an effect on people.”
He added that the NPP has begun its work to counter this narrative. “We, as a political party, have also started our work. We are also talking to people, letting them know, especially with the regional minister having pressers every month.”
We take sector by sector and we talk about the good things that we have done for people. We also concentrate very much now on our communications and I know things are going to change but it is a normal thing that happens almost all the time especially when governments are in for two terms,” Pyne added.
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