Introduction
The Navrongo Central Constituency is one of the key political
battlegrounds in the Upper East Region. It is known for its swing voting pattern
between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Since 1992, both parties have won the presidential and parliamentary elections
in the constituency at different times.
The current Member of Parliament (MP) for the Constituency
is Sampson
Tangombu Chiragia, of the NDC. He won the seat in the 2020 elections by
defeating Tangoba
Abayage of the NPP.
As the 2024 general elections approach, both the NDC and NPP have chosen new faces to represent them. The NDC has elected Simon Akibange Aworigo as its parliamentary candidate, while the NPP has chosen Alhaji Abdallah Otito Achuliwor for that seat. The competition between these two candidates is expected to be keen as both individuals are popular among the grassroots.
How has the historical performance of the NDC and the NPP in
the constituency evolved over the years, and what factors have contributed to
these performances?
This article explores the historical performance of these
parties in the Navrongo constituency from 1996 to 2020. It also examines the
key challenges and issues that have been at the forefront of political
discourse in the constituency.
About the Navrongo Central Constituency
The Navrongo Central Constituency is in the Kassena/Nankana district of the Upper East Region of Ghana. It has a total of 35 electoral areas with a voter population of about 54,190 per the 2020 electoral figures.
It can be described as the educational hub of the Region,
with various educational facilities located in the constituency, including the C.K
Tedam University of Technology and Applied Sciences, the St. John Bosco College
of Education, the Navrongo Secondary School (NAVASCO), and the Community Health
Nursing Training College, and the Navrongo Health Research Centre.
Trading and agriculture are the major economic activities in
the constituency, with the Tono Irrigation Project and its large markets and
border with Burkina Faso boosting these activities.
Dynamics of Presidential Elections in the Constituency
The presidential election performance in the Navrongo
Central Constituency has seen varied outcomes from 1996 to 2020. The graph
below shows the performance of the NDC and the NPP in the Constituency from
1996 to 2020.
Figure 1: Presidential Elections Performance between the NDC And NPP in the Navrongo Central Constituency (1996 -2020)
Source: Author’s computation, data from EC
From the graph, former President Rawlings secured 53% of the
votes in 1996, defeating former President John Agyekum Kufour of the NPP, who obtained
39%.
The NPP claimed victory in 2000 and 2004 with 43.2% and
42.6% respectively, while the NDC garnered 41% and 37.7% respectively.
The NDC’s Prof. John Evans Atta Mills and John Dramani
Mahama won the constituency in 2008 and 2012 with 45.9% and 59.8% against the
NPP’s 44.8% and 38.4% respectively.
Since then, the NDC has been the dominant party in the
constituency’s presidential elections, winning in 2016 and 2020 with 48.4% and
61.4% of the votes respectively against the NPP’s 48.3% and 36.5%.
Overall, over the seven electoral cycles from 1996, the NPP
has won twice (2000, 2004) while the NDC has emerged victorious in five (1996,
2008, 2012, 2016, 2020).
Parliamentary Elections Performance in the Constituency
Since 1996, the Navrongo Central Constituency has seen a
dynamic political battle, with MPs from both major parties taking turns in
office. The graph below illustrates the intense competition and electoral
outcomes in the parliamentary elections from 1996 to 2020.
Figure 1: Parliamentary Elections Performance between the NDC and NPP in the Navrongo Central Constituency (1996 -2020)
Source: Author’s computation, data from EC
In 1996, Clement Tumfuga Bugaase won the Navrongo Central
Constituency seat on the ticket of the NDC with 51.9% of the votes, compared to
the NPP candidate, who obtained 41.5%. However, Bugaase narrowly lost the seat
in the 2000 elections to John Setuni Achuliwor of the NPP, who secured 41.5% of
the votes against Bugaase's 40.9%.
Unfortunately, Mr Achuliwor died in 2003 in a car accident,
necessitating a by-election. Joseph Kofi Adda won the by-election on the ticket
of the NPP and went ahead to win the 2004 general elections with 39.3% of the
votes. He retained the seat for the NPP in the 2008 elections.
He however lost the seat in 2012 to Mark Woyongo of the NDC,
who obtained 53.2% of the votes. He staged a comeback and reclaimed the seat
from the NDC in the 2016 elections, defeating Woyongo, who was then the
Interior Minister, with 52.7% of the votes.
Following his defeat, Mr Woyongo indicated that one of the
main reasons
for his loss was the delay in releasing feeding grants to second-cycle schools,
which led to the closure of schools during his tenure. He also blamed his
defeat on the introduction of certain policies by his government, such as the
cancellation of teacher and nursing training allowances, and the promise by the
NPP to restore these allowances, given that Navrongo is home to many students
due to its many educational institutions.
Mr Kofi Adda was the MP of the Constituency from 2017 to
2020; however, he
lost the NPP primaries to Madam Tangoba Abayage, who subsequently
represented the party in the 2020 general elections and lost
to Sampson Tangombu Chiragia of the NDC.
Summarily, in the seven electoral cycles from 1996, the NDC
has won the seat three times (1996, 2012 and 2020) while the NPP has won it
four times (2000, 2004, 2008 and 2016).
Key Issues for Voters in the Constituency
As constituents prepare to cast their votes in December, the
issue of poor
road networks is a significant concern that they will be considering; the
road network in the Constituency, particularly the routes linking to the rural
areas is in a deplorable state and requires urgent attention.
Another issue that will be of concern for voters is inadequate
access to potable
water. Many residents often rely on streams and other unreliable water
sources for their daily needs. Some communities face significant challenges in
securing potable water, sometimes having to walk long distances to find it.
Who Wins?
Given this history of swing voting and the intense
competition between the two parties, the outcome of the 2024 elections in
Navrongo Central will likely hinge on the aspirants' ability to address
pressing local issues such as poor road infrastructure and the lack of potable
water. The Party/candidate that presents viable solutions that most effectively
address voters' concerns stands a strong chance of winning both the
presidential and parliamentary elections in this Constituency.
Conclusion
As the Navrongo Central Constituency gears up for the 2024
elections, the stakes are high in this historically competitive battleground.
With both the NDC and NPP having alternated power over the years, the election
promises to be another fierce contest.
As December 7 draws near, convincing the constituency’s voters that their critical challenges can be addressed will be essential to winning their hearts and minds and ultimately, clinching victory.
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