Democracy is often touted as a market place of ideas, but sometimes the factors that determine voter choice goes just beyond who has sound policies and ideas.
Particular geographical areas over the years consistently vote for particular political parties.
Underlying such affinities could be historical, sociological and sometimes personality factors.
In the UK, the Labour Party has its red wall of constituencies in the Midlands and Northern England where the party is assured of votes.
The Tories also have the blue wall in Southern England as its stronghold. Such a phenomenon also exists in the US with the blue belt states of the Democrats and the Red Belt states of the Republican Party. Ghana is not different.
Political Scientist, Dr John Osae Kwapong explains what gives rise to political party strongholds.
“These attachments grow for different reasons. They could be historical, religious, ethnicity and many other factors. How a particular area or particular people come to feel about a particular political party is a multitude of several factors. Once that affinity is developed, it grows and becomes a really strong attachment.”
The Ashanti Region averagely gives the NPP over 60 percent of votes in the Presidential election consistently and the Volta region does same for the NDC.
For some residents of the Ashanti Region, there are peculiar reasons why they constantly vote for the symbolic elephant.
One resident said “Some of the comments and the views I’ve heard some voters express is that they vote for the NPP because they see it as their own party. So it is not a surprise that the Ashantis vote for the NPP.’
Another resident said “Ashanti Region is a strong hold of the NPP because of how the party was formed. Ashantis were active members and the activities of Jerry John Rawlings, a leader of PNDC affected most Ashantis, so they had a little bit of hatred towards him.’
The Volta Region has constituencies such as Ketu South that consistently offer high voting numbers for the NDC. Here is why “When NDC came they built teaching hospitals, roads, schools, solved our water and electricity issues. One resident indicated. “People of volta region feel more Ghanaian when NDC is in power and are not discriminated compared to when NPP is in power. I believe NDC is able to unite the whole nation more than any other party,” another intimated.
But do politicians treat their strongholds fairly in development terms considering the fact that they can bank their hopes on them when it comes to the vote?
Dr Osae Kwapong is of the view that citizens must be wide awake and engage in the required advocacy to ensure that there is an equitable distribution of the national cake.
Do not be surprised when the voter numbers start coming in during the declaration of results from these regions in December.