The NDC Professionals Forum International has discredited the recent publicized report by the University of Ghana; saying “it’s just another propaganda piece and a dent on the intellectual credibility of the country’s academia”.
The research conducted by the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana, depicted that President Nana Akufo-Addo will floor former president John Dramani Mahama hands down should elections be held today. The results presented by Head of Political Science Department of the university, Dr. Maame Gyekye-Jandoh, on Wednesday, showed President Akufo-Addo would have led the poll with 49.3% with John Mahama trailing behind with 33.3%.
But speaking from his US base, President of the NDC Pro-forum International, Mr. Arnold Appiah said the research by the University is a hopeless case to suggest that President Akufo Addo will win a second term. According to him, “this report has to be discredited, it has no merit, it is intellectually dishonest, it doesn’t meet the basic logic of common sense, not to say the least”.
The research which sampled about 5,000 Ghanaians nationwide touched on some areas including the economy, education, campaign promises, government policies and programmes among others. Dr. Gyekye-Jandoh had explained that two questions were asked respondents, one being which party they would vote for if elections were held today, and secondly, which candidate they would vote for, but Mr. Appiah opined that the polls should have been specific on the exact points the university wanted to raise and the results it sought to get.
“According to the report, they put out two questions; primarily which party they will vote for if elections were held today and also which candidate they would vote for. They did not put in that; which party would you vote for and why? Or if its candidate A or B that you would want to vote for. Why would you want to vote for him?”
Further questioning the motive of the research, Mr Appiah fumed that, “‘why’ never came, and indeed the ‘why’ is the most important part without which the argument is flawed”
He said the NDC Pro-forum as a professional group is not happy with the results. “It is pathetic that we have leadership in the intellectual environment that is supposed to be doing what would have enhanced academic discourse in a positive light rather seeking to be more of a propaganda tool”.
Mr. Appiah further explained that the NDC in its worse form has always maintained a 44.4% since 2000 elections; so, its mind boggling to suggest that NPP had 49.3% and NDC had 33% “which is ridiculous”. He said the result does not meet the requirement of a credible poll for the party to consider.
Story by: Joe Bright Nyarko
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