Sikaman Palava: The chilling effects of Bantama votes

Whenever election results are mentioned from the Volta Region of the Republic of Ghana, mini earthquakes precipitate in the hearts of men. An unsuspecting driver listening to election results can get jolted by a Ketu South result and lose control of his vehicle. If God is not on his side, his next stop will be at the mortuary awaiting autopsy.

Indeed, some election results are so laden with dynamite that taflatse, the announcer himself will have to pour libation to pave the way of the gods for him to successfully deliver the result. Otherwise the announcer himself might succumb to a heart attack.
If results are mentioned from the Western Region, Brong Ahafo and Northern regions, the listener is not likely to be shocked into a coma. He can be sure that if his party is not leading, at least it would be keeping up with the pace.

However, in the Volta Region and Ashanti, you need some anointing to bear the electric jolt. The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is a party that eternally believes that even if they are losing by many light years, as soon as the key Ashanti votes start descending like atomic bombs, the gap will quickly be closed and they'll take over the lead in no time.
So the average NPP supporter has built a huge quantum of faith in votes from Bantama, Suame and others from one election to another and that faith is so strong that it has waxed over time, and is believed to be able to move mountains.

Whatever it is, the shocker starts from the announcement of polling station results. When your party gets Single 1 and your opponent gets 248, that is nothing to lament over, but it can turn your stomach if you don't understand what the bigger picture is.

Someone can hear a couple of polling station results and decide that it would take the Second Coming of Jesus to throw him back into contention. For example, with the lesser known candidates like the independents, Dr Edward Mahama, Dr Ward Brew and the rest, it took only a number of polling station results for everyone to know that they were irrecoverably out of the entire race.

Of course, some of them knew before the voting that miracles do not happen in politics unless one was an Obama. So when the disastrous voter bombshells were detonated by the radio stations, they ran for cover. They proceeded to pray to God to at least save them from the heartbreaking zero showing at the polling stations. So even 1 or 2 votes against their names was seen as heaven-sent and cherished.

The constituency votes elicited both positive and negative responses from supporters. For examples a high Volta result elicited drumming and dancing in some communities. Excited party fans burst into the borborbor dance and waved white handkerchiefs in accompaniment. Others went Pentecostal and gave praises to the Almighty while shaking their weighty bottoms. Obviously they think God is a politician.

But when the Ashanti votes started avalanching, the atmosphere turned mournful; the drums beat no more and the celebrants sought solace in palm wine and brukutu. Some of the Ashanti votes in fact had what can be termed the "canon effect." It can cause collateral damage to life and limb.

Even a polling station vote from Bantama or Manhyia can well cause an earth tremor, measurable on the Richter Scale. In the past, results from those constituencies have put NDC followers to early slumber. They never recovered from the shock.

I was expecting the NPP to contest the Tain constituency ballot in their final attempt to turn the scales, because it would have been interesting. But alas, that was not to be. It would have been quite interesting if they had, but it was all too clear that change was inevitable and there was nothing Tain could do about it.

At any rate, the race was perilously close and that shows how fiercely the two parties contested the election and desperately wanted to win.

The crowning glory was the peace Ghana still enjoys and the commendations from all over the world. Ghana is still THE STAR OF AFRICA.

By Merari Alomele: The Spectator; Email: [email protected]