Mussa Dankwah Defies NDC, Vows More Flagbearer Polls
The Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, Mussa Dankwah, has rebuffed criticism from within the National Democratic Congress and pledged to continue polling potential flagbearer contenders ahead of the 2028 general elections, insisting that public sentiment cannot be subordinated to party timelines.
The declaration comes amid mounting disquiet within the NDC over the firm’s early surveys on possible successors to President John Dramani Mahama. Party officials have argued that such exercises risk fracturing unity and diverting attention from the administration’s governance agenda. Dankwah, however, maintained that measuring public opinion remains the core mandate of his organization, irrespective of political discomfort.
According to Citinewsroom news report, Dankwah addressed the controversy during an appearance on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Wednesday, August 12. He dismissed suggestions that the polls were premature, arguing that discourse on leadership succession is already permeating public conversation. “If as pollsters we don’t poll, what would you be doing? That’s our job. We tend to measure sentiments of the public and also communicate that back to the country to see what people are thinking,” he stated. He further emphasized that his firm prioritizes civic perception over partisan considerations, and will therefore persist with its tracking exercises.
The backlash has been most pronounced from NDC Deputy General Secretary Mustapha Gbande, who cautioned that premature speculation could engender unnecessary tensions within the ranks. Yet Dankwah framed the initiative as an empirical service to democracy, noting that the latest survey conducted in July engaged thousands of respondents with a narrow margin of error and will serve as the baseline for periodic tracking until the next election cycle. The data also captured broader economic sentiment, with a majority of participants indicating an improvement in their standard of living compared to the previous year.
Historically, early polling on internal party contests has been contentious in Ghanaian politics, often accused of influencing delegate behavior and amplifying factionalism. Global InfoAnalytics has, however, positioned itself as an independent barometer, asserting that transparency in public opinion ultimately strengthens rather than undermines democratic institutions. The firm’s stance suggests a recalibration of the relationship between pollsters and political parties, one that privileges data over deference.
As the NDC navigates its post-Mahama future, the tension between party discipline and public curiosity is likely to intensify. Whether Dankwah’s surveys will prove prescient or provocative remains to be seen, but the firm has made clear it will not retreat from its self-appointed role as the chronicler of the electorate’s evolving preferences.
Author: Korkor Anumu
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