Constituency Watch: La Dade Kotopon Constituency

The La Dade Kotopon Constituency is in the La Dade Kotopon Municipality of the Greater Accra Region of Ghana. It is bordered by the Klottey Korle Constituency to the north and west, Ledzokuku and Krowor to the east and the south by the Gulf of Guinea.

It has a total voter population of 124,116 (according to the 2020 voters register), spread across 20 electoral areas. Some of the most popular localities in the constituency include La, Burma Camp, North Labone, South La, Cantonments, Accra Mall, among others. 

The main occupation of the indigenous people in the constituency is fishing. However, the emergence of various industrial activities in recent years has diversified the area’s economy, creating more opportunities for formal and informal employment. The main ethnic group of the indigenes is the Ga-Adangbe with Ga being the predominant language. The constituency is home to important facilities such as the Kotoka International Airport, and the Labadi Beach.

Politically, it has largely been a stronghold of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) particularly in presidential elections, where the party has won six elections since 1996. The parliamentary elections, however, remain a battleground, although the NDC has generally dominated.

The current Member of Parliament (MP) for the area is Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, who took office in 2021, becoming the first female MP for the constituency. For the upcoming 2024 elections, the NDC has retained her as their parliamentary candidate. The NPP has elected Joseph Addo, President Akufo-Addo’s driver, as their candidate. Additionally, Vincent Sowah Odotei, a former MP for the area from 2017 to 2021 who lost in the 2020 NPP primaries has announced his intention to run as an independent candidate, making the race even more competitive.

But what issues have influenced voting behaviour in the constituency over the years? How do the presidential and parliamentary election results compare? This article will explore these questions by analyzing the electoral performance of the NDC and NPP from 1996 to 2020. This piece will also highlight the key challenges for residents as they prepare to vote on December 7.

Presidential Election Performance

Presidential elections in the La Dade Kotopon constituency have been dominated by the NDC. The graph below shows an analysis of the presidential election’s performance of the NDC and NPP in the Constituency from 1996 to 2020.

Source: Author’s computation, with data from the EC

From the graph, the NDC has won every presidential election since 1996, except in 2000, when it lost to the NPP. In 1996, Jerry John Rawlings of the NDC defeated John Agyekum Kufuor of the NPP with 58.8% of the votes. However, in 2000, the NPP won the election with 50.3%, compared to the NDC's 44.9%. Since then, the NDC has dominated, winning 50.3% in 2004, 56.3% in 2008, 59.4% in 2012, 52.6% in 2016, and 54.4% in 2020.

Parliamentary Election Performance

Parliamentary election performance in the La Dade Kotopon constituency, much like the presidential elections, has been dominated by the NDC (See Figure 2). In the 1996 elections, Sylvester Mensah of the NDC won the seat with 50.6% of the votes, defeating the NPP candidate Cecelia Aguakun However, in the 2000 elections, Sylvester Mensah failed to retain his seat, losing to Godfried Ako-Nai of the NPP, who secured 52.8% of the votes. The NDC reclaimed the seat with Nii Amasah Namoale, who won three consecutive terms with 52.2% in 2004, 57.3% in 2008, and 56.9% in 2012. The NPP, under Vincent Sowah Odotei’s leadership, won the seat for the second time in the 2016 elections with 50.6%. The NDC reclaimed the seat again in the 2020 elections with Rita Naa Odoley Sowah, making her the first female MP to be elected in the constituency.

Source: Author’s computation, with data from the EC

Challenges for constituents

The major issue for residents in this constituency is poor access to healthcare, as the area's main health facility for the indigenes, La General Hospital, was demolished in 2020 for reconstruction. Although construction has begun, progress has been slow.

Apart from this, residents say the current economic challenges in the country have worsened their living conditions. “Initially, with GH¢10 one can afford kenkey and fish, but same situation cannot be said now. Now with GH¢10, you wouldn’t be able to even afford gari and groundnut”, one constituent told 3news

For commuters, their vote will hinge on the Osu-La-Kpeshie road, portions of which have been in poor condition, affecting vehicular mobility and causing traffic during peak hours.

Who wins as MP?

The election of Joseph Addo, could bolster the NPP's chances of reclaiming the seat, as he would likely have the president's support. However, Vincent Sowah, a former NPP MP from 2017 to 2020, running as an independent candidate could weaken the NPP's chances, potentially allowing the incumbent MP to retain the seat for the NDC.