By Ashiadey Dotse
Senior Lecturer at the Department of Political Science, Prof. Akpeko Agbevade, has cautioned that relying on telephone calls and street interviews in opinion polls may distort research findings and misrepresent the views of the wider population.
Speaking on GTV’s Current Agenda show on Saturday, October 4, 2025, Prof. Agbevade assessed a recent survey conducted by Mussah Dankwah, President of Global Info Analytics. He acknowledged that Mr. Dankwah has built a reputation as a credible pollster whose predictions often come close to reality but insisted that methodological concerns cannot be overlooked.
He argued that a sample size of about 9,000 respondents cannot adequately represent the more than 18 million Ghanaians who voted in the last general elections. According to him, a more representative sample is required to strengthen the credibility of the findings.
Prof. Agbevade also highlighted what he described as the “politics of social science research,” stressing that biases, funding sources, and the ideological leanings of researchers can influence results if not carefully managed.
While conceding that Global Info Analytics polls often reflect reality, he noted that such outcomes largely reinforce what the public already knows rather than providing fresh insights.
He further explained that politics goes beyond polling numbers, pointing to factors such as character, messaging, and policy. He added that historical trends within the NPP show that presidential candidates often succeed after multiple attempts, suggesting that persistence and party dynamics play a more significant role than surveys alone.
