Ben Ephson’s variables were biased – UCC Lecturer

Politics of Thursday, November 26, 2020

Source: Starr FM

2020-11-26

A political analyst at the University of Cape Coast, Jonathan Asante Okyere, has punched holes in the latest poll by pollster Ben Ephson predicting the victory of President Akufo-Addo and the PNP in the December 7 elections.

Ben Ephson says that President Akufo-Addo will secure 52.6%, while John Mahama will get 45.7% of the total votes cast in the presidential race.

He raised factors such as free SHS assignments, nursing and teacher training and the fight against corruption as the reasons behind the prediction.

But speaking to Starr News, Jonathan Asante Okyere urged the two major political parties to take lessons from opinion polls.

He posited: “I think the variables Mr. Ephson could have used are quite skewed because he feels that respondents indicated cancellation or reinstatement of nurse assignments and teacher assignments and free SHS, I think that leaves the survey a bit unreliable. I think he should have asked questions about corruption as well. “

“The scandals that have been happening in our current government. What could have been the opinions of the respondent in this regard? What about the people talking about nepotism and how has it influenced all the corruption scandals? What about the PNP supporters who are unhappy in the sense that the current crop of PNP, feel that it is biased to only a narrow circle of people and obviously want to bring them back into the opposition to regroup and restructure the party again more or less.”

Mr. Okyere added that “I think to the extent that I don’t want to condemn the pollster for the work he has done, I think that in this particular survey he has done, the variables are quite skewed and not” I think it creates a true representation of what I wanted to do. “

“Either the interviewer has done their job, or the NDC will choose the variable that was used and see what is the best way to complete those things to benefit them. The nuclear power plant can either rely on that and work harder, or it can be complacent. “