Flashback: Without Rawlings, NDC can still win - Ben Ephson

During the heat ahead of the 2012 general elections, veteran journalist and pollster, Ben Ephson made quite some controversial comments about the fortunes of the NDC in the elections.

In his opinion then, the NDC was capable of emerging victorious in the 2012 general election without the support of the founding father, Jerry John Rawlings.

According to him, even when the former president campaigned for candidate Mills in 2000 and 2004, he (Mills) still lost.

“So, you can’t say that without Rawlings, Mills will lose. I must say that without the Rawlingses, the NDC must work harder…One of the reasons why Mills won in Central Region was that people believed he (Mills) would be his own man…after three years, floating voters have seen that Mills is his own man and thinks independently from the wishes of President Rawlings,” he said.

Read the full story originally published by GhanaWeb on May 21, 2012 from peacefmonline.com

Renowned pollster and Managing Editor of the “Daily Dispatch” newspaper, Ben Ephson Jnr, believes that even without the support of ex-president Rawlings, there is a brighter chance of President Mills scooping lots of votes in the impending general election and emerging as winner.

According to him, even when the former president campaigned for then-candidate Mills in 2000 and 2004, he (Mills) still lost. He added that it was only in 2008 that Mills’ electoral fortunes changed when he won the presidential run-off.

“So, you can’t say that without Rawlings, Mills will lose. I must say that without the Rawlingses, the NDC must work harder,” he said.

Speaking to Emefa Apawu on RadioXYZ, Ben Ephson opined that the internal wranglings in the NDC can be attributed to Mr. Rawlings suffering from “withdrawal symptoms”, adding that it has become difficult for the ex-president to accept that he is no more in power having ruled for some 19 years.

The renowned pollster urged Mr. Rawlings to consider Hon E.T Mensah’s advice to them concerning loyalty to their marriage and the party.

The former confidante of the Rawlingses is reported to have stated that “allegiance to the husband isn’t transferrable to the wife through marriage”.

Commenting on one of the key factors that accounted for Mills’ loss in 2000, Mr. Ephson said the NPP managed to delude the electorate into believing that voting for candidate Mills meant Mr. Rawlings would be the de-facto president. Taking Central region as his case study, he pointed out that President Mills won in the region in 2008 because the electorate bought into the idea that Mills will be his own man if elected as president.

“One of the reasons why Mills won in Central Region was that people believed he (Mills) would be his own man…after three years, floating voters have seen that Mills is his own man and thinks independently from the wishes of President Rawlings,” he said.