Press Secretary Of Alliance4Change Details  Political History Of Akuapem South Constituency

The Press Secretary of the Alliance4Change, Mr Owusu Berima popularly known as OB, has detailed the political history of the Akuapem South Constituency which is one of the 33 constituencies from the Eastern Region represented in the Parliament of Ghana. 

In an article written by Mr. Berima who is a leading member of the NDC from Akuapem North which was captured by the Soireenews.com, he writes that; "Akuapem South elects one Member of Parliament (MP) by the first past the post system of election.

Akwapim South was curved out of the Aburi-Nsawam constituency by the Legislative Instrument which was laid in parliament by the EC in 2012, which reflected as Akwapim South and Nsawam Adoagyiri constituencies respectively.

Akuapem South Constituency boarders Akuapem North to the north east, Nsawam- Adoagyiri constituency in the south west, La-Nkwantanan to the south, New Juaben south to the North. 

The inhabitants of this constituency are mainly farmers with a minor percentage of them engaged in commerce (trade). Major towns located Akuapem South constituency include Aburi, Kitasi, Ahwerase, Adomorobe, Berekuso, Pakro, Konkonurun among others. One of the most iconic tourist site in this constituency is the Aburi Gardens.

Politically, this constituency has been one of the safest seat's for the NPP since the 4th republic wining 6 out of the last 8 parliamentary elections. 

In the 1992 presidential elections, the presidential candidate of the NDC, Flt Lt JJ Rawlings won the presidential elections after the main opposition candidate Prof. Adu Boahene of the NPP pulled out of the election. 

Again, the NDC parliamentary candidate for Aburi - Nsawam( formerly), Hon. Vida Yeboah won the seat for the first time as a member of parliament for this constituency.

 The NPP pulled out of the parliamentary elections for obvious reasons best known to them, compelling the NDC candidate to go unopposed.

The 1996 presidential general elections saw the NDC riding over the opposition parties in the country to win the general elections. 

The NDC's presidential candidate, Flt Lt JJ Rawlings, secured his second term in office as the President of the Republic, defeating his main opposition rival, John Agyekum Kufour of the NPP. 

The parliamentary elections also saw the incumbent NDC member of Parliament for the area, Hon. Vida Yeboah securing her second term in parliament in the 4th republic of the 1992 constitution with over 48% of the total valid vote cast. 

The 2000 general elections saw the NDC presenting a new candidate for the very first time after its presidential candidate had elapsed his term in office in the person of H. E John Evans Atta-Mills, who was the vice president of the republic preceding the general elections. 

However, the main opposition party at the time, the NPP, had gained more grounds among the electorate in the country in general. The NPP Presidential candidate, John Agyekum Kufour defeated the incumbent party, the NDC, for the first time in the history of the Republic after a run-off securing 56.9% of the total valid votes cast. 

The NDC could only manage 43.1%. 

In the parliamentary architecture of the Constituency elections, there was a tsunami of change in the political dispensation of the space. 

The NPP parliamentary candidate, Seth Wiafe Dankwah, won the seat for the very first time for the opposition party with 55.9% of the total valid votes cast representing 22,328 to defeat his closest contender, Honourable Vida Yeboah, who could only manage a little over 17,327 of the total valid votes cast representing 43.4%.

The NPP's dominance in the Constituency continued across the space in the 2004 general elections as its Presidential candidate, H. E John Agyekum Kufour polled 31,937 valid votes representing 59.9% to defeat the NDC parliamentary candidate H. E Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills for the second consecutive time after the 2000 general presidential elections.

 The other minor opposition parties could only manage 2.6% of the total valid votes cast. Hon. Magnus Opare Asamoah took over the seat in parliament for the NPP with a vote of 25,940 representing 56% of the total valid vote cast to defeating his closest contender, Hon. Thomas Kissiedu Okai who could barely manage 19,390 votes representing 41.8% of the total valid vote cast.

 The CPP and an Independent candidate polled 521 and 334 respectively representing some 1.8% of the total valid vote cast.

The 2008 presidential elections saw the NPP representing a new face on the ballot after the end of the term in office of Former President J. A Kufour in the person of Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo pulling 30,912 (55.95%) against the NDC's Presidential candidate Prof John Evans Atta-Mills 23,504 representing 42.54% of the total valid vote cast in the first round of the presidential elections.

 The 2008-second run-off saw the NPP pulling 31,045(55.57%) as against the NDC's 24,820(44.43%) of the total valid vote cast. However, luck eluded the NPP as it was defeated by the NDC in the 2008 general presidential elections. 

The NDC this time around was very much on the grounds with the Yere sesamu slogan, which was largely felt across the country because of the magnitude of corruption in the political arena.

 In the 2008 parliamentary elections, the NDC parliamentary candidate, Hon. Nana Arku Arkah was defeated by a new face of the NPP, Hon. Owusu Bonsu Amoah to 20,194(36.25%) and 32,491(58.32%) of the total votes respectively. 

In the 2012 general elections, Akwapim South Constituency was curved out of the Aburi-Nsawam constituency with the municipal capital as Aburi. 

The NDC presidential candidate, H. E John Dramani Mahama defeated the NPP Presidential candidate who was contesting for the second time in a row in the general presidential elections.

 The former polled, 8445 of the valid votes representing 22.9% as the latter polled 29,334(77.09%) in the Constituency. 

The NPP continued it dominance in the constituency as Hon. OB Amoah polled 12,720(49.73%) to defeat his closest contender from the NDC, Mr. William Ntow Boahene who could only manage 8,694 of the total valid vote representing 33.99%. 

The other minor parliamentary candidates could only secure 16.11% of the total valid vote cast.

The NDC's President, John Dramani Mahama suffered the heaviest defeat in our electioneering history, losing to the NPP Presidential candidate by over a million-valid votes cast. 

The NDC presidential candidate polled 8,306(31.55) as against the NPP Presidential candidate, Nana Addo Danquah Akufo Addo's 17,531(66.58%) in the Constituency. 

O. B. Amoah of the NPP won the parliamentary elections for the third time after securing 14,049 (52.78%) against the NDC's parliamentary candidate, Lawrencia Dziwornu's 8,417 votes representing 31.62%. The CPP parliamentary candidate pulled a surprise by polling 4,153 (15.6%) of the valid votes cast.

In the 2020 presidential elections, the NPP's Nana Addo Danquah Akufo polled 21,870 valid votes representing 67.89% as against the NDC's Presidential candidate, H. E John Dramani Mahama who managed to poll 10,108 (31.38) of the valid vote cast. The other minor parties could only manage less than 1% of the total valid votes cast in this constituency.

O. B. Amoah of the NPP continued his dominance in the Constituency for the NPP by polling 21,247 to defeat the NDC's Honourable Kwadwo Afari Djan's 11,237 representing 34.59% of the valid vote cast.

As the country prepares for another general elections in 2024, can the NPP continue it dominance in the Constituency as it's faced with internal wrangling and impasse. 

Can the NDC's parliamentary candidate, Lawrencia Dziwornu  cause a surprise and reclaim the seat since it last won in the 1996 parliamentary elections? 2024 await

 Courtesy OB (Owusu Berima) Akuapem North