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Pollster and Managing Editor of the Daily Dispatch Newspaper, Ben Ephson has cautioned members of the main opposition party to be mindful of their reckless utterances.

He says the NPP must realize they risk losing votes of floating voters if they continue with their threats and incitements.

Ben Ephson was commenting on NPP’s Campaign Manager, Peter Mac Manu’s vow to declare itself winner of the 2016 election if they feel strongly the elections have been rigged in favor of the ruling party.

Mr Ephson who was speaking on Radio Gold’s early morning show was emphatic; “somebody should tell the NPP that they are not the only group of people who can insult or talk recklessly. Nobody is the repository of confusion and so they should be mindful. They must be reminded that floating voters are more sensible than [you] think. Anybody can decide to go ahead with threats and on November 7, people will use their AK 48 (their thumbs) to take a decision”.

Mr. Mac Manu told an NPP gathering in the Western region that the Danquah-Busia-Dombo tradition will go ahead irrespective of the consequences.

“The IGP cannot stop us. Whether you are Electoral Commission, whether you are a peace or security officer, whether you are a polling agent, whether you are a chief, you cannot stop NPP from declaring results in November elections,” he ranted.

His threat has triggered widespread condemnation by a section of Ghanaians including the Coalition of Domestic Election Observers, CODEO and Civil Society groups.

Interestingly, Mr Mac Manu whose vituperations received spontaneous applause from his party foot soldiers has since backtracked. He told a number of stations he meant his party will collate its own results. 

But Mr Ephson has described that as disingenuous. He argues that Mr Mac Manu should rather be seen to be apologizing instead of avoiding his own statement already in the public domain.

The Pollster explained that tabulation of results and declaration are not the same. More so, he expected Mac Manu to know better because the latter had graduated in his politics from the Polling Station to Constituency, Regional and had attained the position of National Chairman of the biggest opposition party which has once been in government.

“Since Mac Manu is not an ordinary serial caller, I expected the former NPP Chairman to apologize for his reckless and incendiary statement because, no political party can be bigger than the country called Ghana. [And] no individual, no political party has the copyright to create confusion,” he noted.

Mr Ephson had a strong word of advice to political party activists especially their leader; “With six months to elections, you need to appeal to floating voters, who are at least 30% of the voters. These are the ones you must capture…. If I am a floating voter, will i vote for a party that say they will cause confusion? Will you vote for a party who will say they will cause bloodshed? So in all these when they are speaking and they are high on adrenaline to their cherish supporters, they must bear in mind that their targets should be the floating voters and not those who will vote for them anyway. So that come November 8, people don’t call for ambulances to the hospital”

The Pollster dismissed suggestions that Nana Akuffo Addo, the NPP flag bearer will condemn Mac Manu for his gaffe, judging by his track record.

"I will be surprised if he condemned it. Did he condemn the Regional Chairman of his strong hold [Ashanti] who slapped his Member of Parliament? Has he condemned persons who have insinuated violence? I don’t think he will do it. I don’t think so. There had been other reckless statements which he should have condemned and he has not done it. .And he has not done it", he said.