2024 Ghana Election Constituency Watch Series Episode 10 - Wa East Constituency

The Wa East Constituency is located in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region of Ghana. The constituency is situated in the southeastern part of the Upper East Region, with Funsi as its capital. It shares boundaries with West Gonja to the southeast, Wa constituency to the southwest, Daffiama-Bussie-Issa and Nadowli-Kaleo constituencies to the northeast, and the Sissala East constituency to the north.

According to the 2021 Population and Housing Census, the constituency has a population of about 91,457 people and a voter population of 40,261, per the 2020 Electoral Commission’s voter register.

A map of Wa East Constituency and boundary constituencies (African Elections)

The major ethnic groups in the constituency include the Wala, Sissala, Dagaaba, Lobi, Chakali, and other minority ethnic groups such as the Gonjas, Fulanis, and Builsas. The main occupation for most residents in this constituency is agriculture, with crops like maize, groundnut, sorghum, and millet commonly cultivated. Residents also rear animals and poultry for subsistence. This constituency is one of the most deprived areas in the region, with inadequate access to basic amenities such as potable water and electricity.

Since 1996, the constituency has been one of the key battlegrounds for the NDC and the NPP in the Upper West Region. The current MP for the area is Dr. Godfred Seidu Gaysaw, who came to power in 2021 after beating the NPP candidate in a landslide victory in 2020, defeating the NPP’s Yakubu Salifu.

 In the 2024 elections, both parties have retained their 2020 parliamentary candidates to represent them. But in a largely rural constituency, what has been the voting pattern of the people over the years? What are some of the developmental challenges faced by the residents? This article examines these issues, as well as the party or candidate most likely to win in the upcoming elections.

Presidential Election Performance in Wa East Constituency

The Wa East Constituency can best be described as a swing constituency, as both the NDC and the NPP have obtained victories there since 1996, as shown in Figure 1 below.

Source: Author's computation with data from the Electoral Commission of Ghana

In 1996, the NDC secured a landslide victory in the Wa East Constituency, winning 75.5% of the votes, compared to the NPP's 15.2%. The NDC's performance has however declined since then. In the 2000 elections, the NDC obtained 55.8% of the votes, a significant drop from the 1996 figure, while the NPP increased its share of the votes to 24.1%.

The NPP continued to improve its performance marginally, winning the 2004 and 2008 elections with 47.8% and 48.8% of the votes, respectively. The NDC made a comeback in the 2012 elections, winning with 53.7% of the votes.

The NPP reclaimed victory in the constituency in the 2016 elections with 47% of the votes, narrowly surpassing the NDC's 45%. In the 2020 elections, the NDC achieved its highest vote share since 1996, securing 60.1% of the votes.

Parliamentary Election Performance in Wa East constituency

The graph below (figure 2) illustrates the performance of the NDC and the NPP in the Wa Constituency in the seven electoral cycles from 1996 to 2020. 

Source: Author's computation with data from the Electoral Commission of Ghana

Alhaji Issahaku Salia was the first MP for the Wa East Constituency, winning the 1992 elections and becoming part of the first parliament of the Fourth Republic. He was re-elected in both the 1996 and 2000 elections. In 1996, he achieved a landslide victory with 77.4% of the votes, defeating his closest contender, Boyela Ansah, who secured 22.6%.

In the 2000 elections, he won again with 55.4%, defeating Bayon Godfrey Tangu of the NPP, who obtained 23.4%. He however lost the seat in the 2004 elections to Godfrey Tangu Bayon of the NPP, who obtained 51.4%. Mr. Godfrey Bayon Tangu retained the seat for the NPP in the 2008 elections, securing 48% of the votes, while the NDC candidate Ameen Salifu received 43%.

In the 2012 elections, Godfrey Tangu lost to Ameen Salifu, who had contested him in the 2008 elections.  Ameen Salifu obtained 49.6% of the votes, while Godfrey Tangu garnered 48.3%.

In the 2016 elections, the NDC elected Dr. Henry Seidu Danaa, the then Minister for Chieftaincy under the erstwhile Mahama administration as their parliamentary candidate. He secured 42% of the votes, losing to two-time MP Godfrey Bayon Tangu, who obtained 46.9%.

The NDC reclaimed the seat in the 2020 elections with a new parliamentary candidate, Dr Godfred Seidu Jasaw, who secured 60.1% of the votes, defeating the NPP candidate Yakubu Salifu, who obtained 39.9%.

Key Challenges in the Constituency

The Wa East Constituency, being largely rural, faces numerous challenges, including poor road infrastructure. All the roads leading to the constituency capital, Funsi, are unpaved, making them inaccessible during the rainy season. To reach Funsi, one must use the Wa-Tumu Highway before branching off, consequently doubling the length of the journey. This poses significant difficulties for farmers trying to transport their produce to market centers.

In April 2024, some aggrieved residents of the constituency organized a press conference to express their frustrations to the District Chief Executive (DCE). At the press conference, as reported by the Ghana News Agency, they lamented the poor state of the roads, which they say, hinder economic activities. They cited specific roads, including the Funsi-Yaala-Kundugu, Funsi-Nymbanduu, and Danyuakuraa-Diskora-Kulung-Yaala roads, as being in deplorable conditions, making it extremely difficult for farmers to access their farms. "There’s not even a kilometer of tarred road in the district" said Mr. Nalada Hilia Mahama Sampulo, Convener of the South Sissala Unity for Development, during the press conference.

Another challenge is the lack of inadequate educational and healthcare facilities in the constituency. There is no hospital, and only four health centers, which face many challenges including a lack of delivery beds.

Furthermore, traders and residents have complained about the lack of toilet facilities at the Funsi market, which has resulted in open defecation.

Who Wins?

(African Elections)

Given the unpredictable voting patterns over the years, it is extremely challenging to predict which party will win in the constituency. Ultimately, as has been noted in previous articles, the candidate or parties whose policies resonate with the constituents are most likely to emerge victorious in the upcoming elections in Wa East.

Considering the plethora of challenges that constituents face, such as poor road networks, inadequate healthcare and educational facilities, it is evident that both the NDC and NPP have struggled to effectively address the concerns of the populace. As a result, the electorates remain uncertain about which party will best serve their interest, making it even more difficult to predict their voting behavior.

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