Why NPP and Jubilee House Spurned Mussa Dankwah’s Cash-Powered Polls

The Controversy Surrounding Global Info Analytics

The Executive Director of Global Info Analytics, Mussa Dankwah, has responded to criticisms from within the National Democratic Congress (NDC) regarding his company’s role in fueling internal succession debates. Critics within the party have accused his firm of distracting government appointees from their duties and creating unnecessary political tensions.

Dankwah defended the credibility and independence of his company, emphasizing that Global Info Analytics operates as a private entity without interference from any political party. He dismissed claims that his surveys are politically motivated, stating that the firm’s research is based on objective data rather than political agendas.

However, investigations by The Herald have revealed that Dankwah may not be as independent as he claims. Instead, he appears to operate more as a businessman, using opinion surveys as a revenue-generating venture. In 2020, he approached the Akufo-Addo administration, attempting to market his polls to senior government figures and members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP). His efforts were met with skepticism, and his work was deemed unreliable.

According to The Herald, Dankwah was referred to Sam Ellis, the Director of Personnel at the Office of the President – Jubilee House, who acted as his handler. However, he was soon sidelined due to the lack of trust in his survey methods. His polls were criticized as “armchair polling,” conducted primarily from home via mobile phone calls to supposed respondents.

Multiple sources indicate that his surveys were often compared to those of the National Investigations Bureau (NIB) and Joe Anokye of the National Communications Authority (NCA), but they were found to be lacking in credibility. Questions about his staff’s expertise and the variables used in his research have been raised repeatedly.

For example, ahead of the 2024 elections, several NPP-aligned polls projected a significant victory for the opposition NDC and its flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, over Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. As a result, Global Info Analytics’ polls were considered irrelevant to key NPP insiders.

Dankwah’s credibility faced further scrutiny during the Akwatia by-election, where his polls predicted an NPP victory. However, the NDC ultimately won the seat, exposing flaws in his research methods.

Despite these challenges, Dankwah maintains that his company has been conducting polls for years, including head-to-head comparisons between key figures in the NDC and NPP, long before party nominations began. He emphasized that his polling cycles are independent of party schedules.

“Global Info Analytics is a private and independent company. We don’t get told what to do or what not to do. We have been doing this for several years,” he said. “In 2022, we began head-to-head polls between Mahama, Dufuor, and Kojo Bonsu long before the NDC opened nominations.”

His comments come amid growing concerns within the ruling NDC over recent polls projecting the presidential ambitions of key government appointees just months into President John Dramani Mahama’s administration. Critics argue that such surveys are fueling premature succession battles, diverting attention from government duties, and undermining party cohesion.

Reports suggest some ministers have already begun building campaign “war chests” and positioning themselves for the 2028 race. However, Dankwah insists that early polling serves the public interest. “Our polling cycle is every three months, and whatever we feel is of national interest, we research. It may not be in the interest of some political parties, but that’s not who we are working for. We are not working for parties, we are working for the country and the globe at large,” he explained.

He also defended his company’s decision to release polls on the presidential ambitions of key government appointees, just eight to nine months into the Mahama administration, saying it was necessary to inform the public and other stakeholders about the sentiments of Ghanaians.

“Certain candidates may not be viable, but they may think they are viable,” he said. “By doing early polls and asking voters what they think, they will know where they stand in the public eye, and for that matter, they will not go forward to waste money on a running campaign.”

Responding to claims that the polls are a distraction to government business, Dankwah countered that responsible appointees should remain focused on their mandates. “Government is serious business. If you cannot focus on your job as a minister because of polls, that is your problem. COVID-19 didn’t stop governments elsewhere from governing despite polls. If you are distracted, then perhaps the government has to decide whether you stay or go,” he said.

Dankwah also highlighted that organizations such as Fitch Solutions, Goldman Sachs, and Barclays Capital rely on early data to make informed decisions, and Ghana’s political class cannot expect pollsters to wait for party nominations before conducting surveys.

He hinted that his company’s polls may even help the NDC avoid having a large number of candidates vying for the presidential nomination. “What we are doing may even help them to avoid having a list of 17 candidates vying for a position, but when people see that they have no chance, they will not contest,” he said.

Dankwah further argued that early polls help aspirants gauge their viability and avoid wasting resources on campaigns with little chance of success. “Certain candidates may think they are viable, but when we test them against the public, they realise otherwise. This saves them money and prevents unnecessary crowding of the race.”

He stressed that his firm will continue to conduct polls independently, regardless of pressure from political parties. “We are not an appendage of any party. If we stop because the NDC asks us to, then the NPP will accuse us of bias, and vice versa. We cannot operate at the whims of politicians. What we are doing may even help the parties themselves streamline their contests,” he added.

Dankwah concluded by reaffirming his commitment to transparent research, insisting that the work of Global Info Analytics ultimately serves the public and strengthens democratic processes.