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The Dormaa Central Constituency of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has a herculean task of maintaining the Parliamentary seat it wrestled from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the year 2000.

One of the strategies the NPP adopted in its Parliamentary Elections on Saturday June 20, 2020 to protect some MPs because of several reasons, including the maintenance of some critical experiences in Parliament, may be good but had its own weaknesses. The prevention of Party members from choosing a person as their choice Candidate and whom they perceive as a winnable Parliamentary Candidate most often lead to disillusionment. If the situation is not well managed in several constituencies, the consequences of such an action could include some people voting in the general election in a manner which is now popularly known as “skirt and blouse” ie. voting for the Presidential Candidate of one Party and at the same time voting for the Parliamentary Candidate of another Party or the other way round. In worst scenarios, some disenchanted voters might not vote at all. None of these actions will be good for the  NPP.

The situation of the Dormaa Central Constituency of the NPP now is both complicated and precarious. All opinion polls in recent years and particularly this year, point to the same direction, that, the more winnable Candidate for the NPP in the Dormaa constituency is Dr. Yao Yeboah. To the surprise of majority NPP members and sympathizers though, in the Dormaa Central Constituency, the top echelon of the party negotiated with Dr. Yeboah to step down and allow the incumbent MP, who doubles as the Health Minister (Hon. Kwaku Agyemang Manu) to run as an unopposed Parliamentary Candidate for the NPP in the December 7 polls. According to impeccable sources in the NPP, Dr. Yeboah, a very hardworking, loyal party member, a devout Christian and a gentleman reluctantly agreed this arrangement. Although many of the NPP members in the constituency believed he, Dr. Yeboah could have won the race for their party, hands down. According to the sources, majority of the NPP supporters in the constituency are still not pleased with the issues as they stand.

The NPP has a high risk of losing the Dormaa Central Seat if the situation remains the same and no strategic action is taken immediately. What has worsened the situation is the MP contracting COVID-19. Although he has been treated and we are told that he has now tested negative which we thank God for, he is likely to be constrained in conducting any effective campaign in the Constituency. The level of stigmatization on COVID-19 patients in Ghana now is unfortunately very high. A recovered COVID-19 patient is still perceived as “dangerous” to the community. Stigma prevention and reduction is a process and can take a long time depending on the disease at stake, the fear people have for it and several other factors. People in the Dormaa Central constituency are also aware that, the MP cum Minister is not strong and healthy; he is asthmatic, hypertensive and diabetic among others and so does not appear to be very fit to represent them in the coming years. Considering the few months left to the general elections, the NPP does not have the luxury of time to experiment with such risky ventures which could lead to “a skirt and blouse” voting pattern, a yes vote for Nana Akufo Addo and a no vote to the NPP Parliamentary Candidate, a situation the NPP will regret for. This avoidable and unpleasant situation is what the Spokesperson of Dr. Yao Yeboah (Mr. Daniel Yaw Owusu Boakye – Coordinator of Adumasa Area of Ammasu – Telephone 054-950-7395/050-695-3288) predicted and cautioned the NPP when he was interviewed by Peace and Asempa FM in the first week of June this year.

Rather than increasing the risk of losing the Dormaa Central Parliamentary Seat which Hon. Asiedu Mensah fiercely won (for the NPP) in 2000 from the NDC, it will be advisable for the incumbent MP who is also the Health Minister to be maintained as a Cabinet Minister (in Nana Addo’s next anticipated administration) and allow the more winnable candidate, Dr. Yao Yeboah to represent the NPP in the December 7, 2020 Polls in the Dormaa Central constituency. A stich in time saves nine!