NDC chairmanship is a two-horse race - Ben Ephson predicts

Pollster Ben Ephson has ruled out Dan Abodakpi, former MP for Keta and Alhaji Hudu Yahaya, who is a vice Chairman, in the race for the chairmanship slot of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

According to him, the position would be a "straight fight" between the incumbent Dr. kwabena Adjei and NADMO boss Kofi Portuphy.

Seventy (70) candidates are slugging it out for 15 national executive positions at the party's national delegates' congress on Saturday December 20 in Kumasi. About 4600 delegates are expected to cast their ballots to elect the NDC's leadership for the next four years.

As the mop-up campaigns come to a close, the elections committee of the party has announced that candidates will not be allowed to address the delegates tomorrow.

Mr. Ephson told Francis Abban on Joy FM's Top Story Friday that until the end, it would be difficult to decide between Mr. Kofi Portuphy and Dr. Kwabena Adjei who will win the chairmanship slot.

He is, however, predicting a “political mischief” tomorrow as the contest gets keener but warned it could backfire.

A total of 17 persons are vying for the six vice chairmanship positions including former Attorney General, Betty Mould Iddrisu; a former Minister of Local Government, Samuel Ofosu Ampofo; and former Board Chairman of the National Disability Council, Andrew Okaikoi.

Mrs. Mould Iddrisu is banking her hope on the huge number of women delegates to make it to the top six, but Mr. Ephson said it is a bad bet.

“Women don't vote for women,” he stated.
For the National Organizer position, the pollster expects incumbent Yaw Boateng Gyan's camp to capitalise on the infamous Kofi Adams tape, which portrayed him as a disloyal party member, even though he was cleared of that allegation. It would certainly backfire so far as persons who are abreast with the tape are concerned, he asserted.

Many see Kofi Adams as the favourite of party founder, former President Jerry John Rawlings. Mr. Ephson, however, said what the founder would say tomorrow would be a deciding factor, which can even affect Mr. Adams' chances.

For the former Member of Parliament for Adenta constituency, Adu Asare, he is only adding to the number in the deputy secretary race; that is Mr. Ephson's verdict.

He would be going up against incumbent George Lawson and former communications director at the presidency Koku Anyidoho for the two available positions. Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com| Isaac Essel | [email protected] | twitter @isaacessel