Mussa Dankwa, Executive Director of Global Data Analytics, claims that the findings of recent surveys done by his organisation suggest a dead heat between the parliamentary candidates of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
As a result, he has advised both parties not to celebrate just yet, but to work harder, because the election results might go any way today, Tuesday, June 27, 2023.
Mr Dankwa stated this on Monday’s Eyewitness News on Citi Radio in Accra.
“The poll results indicate that the contest is too close to call, implying that it is statistically deadlocked, implying that there is a tie.” The NPP candidate has 46.7 percent, while the NDC’s James Gyakye Quayson has 45.6 percent. It is a 1.1 percent difference between them. “And keep in mind that the margin of error is 1.9 percent, so the margin of leading is within the margin of error of the polls, so it’s a dead heat according to pollsters,” he said.
Mr. Dankwa stated that 6.9% of voters remained undecided, making their votes critical in determining the election’s result.
He stated that the study had 2,500 participants and provided vital insights into electorate preferences ahead of the by-election.
Both candidates are vying for the support of the undecided voters, knowing that their decision will shape the final results.
Meanwhile, the survey by Global Info Analytics also revealed that Charles Opoku has lost a 19% lead he enjoyed four weeks ago to a 1.1% lead.
On the issue of the court case, when voters who voted for Mr. Opoku were asked if they were influenced to vote for him because they feared Mr. Gyakye Quayson’s court case could be an issue, 20% of them said they intended to vote for Mr. Opoku because of Mr. Gyakye Quayson’s court case.
The poll also showed that 44% of NDC voters who intend to vote for Mr. Opoku were doing so because of Mr. Gyakye Quayson’s court case.
In the key battleground electoral areas of Endwa, Breku, Dominase, Bediadua, and Praso, undecided voters average over 10% of voters.