Dr Richard Amoako Baah, a political scientist, has warned the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) against retaining John Mahama as its flagbearer, saying the party risks losing the elections with him.
According to him, although the Akufo-Addo government has not met the expectation of Ghanaians, Mr Mahama has no idea on how to turn around the country’s fortunes under the current circumstances.
In its latest report, the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) predicted that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) stands a reasonable chance of winning the 2024 elections with a fresh candidate.
Speaking in an interview on Asaase Radio, Dr Amoako Baah said Ghanaians had already experienced Mahama’s leadership, and that can influence their decision in the next election.
“It is true that it will be advisable for the National Democratic Congress to present a new candidate because we know what Mahama has done. There is nothing new he may do except that people are looking up to him because what we expected from President Akufo-Addo is not what we have gotten. But then there is the need because he hasn’t performed to your standard,” he said.
No chance
Dr Baah added: “There are many people in the NDC, so why would you still present the same candidate? You don’t know what he can do; is it going to be anything different from before? As a matter of fact, the economic situation is 10 times worse, so how is he going to be able to manage this worse situation?” he quizzed.
This, he said, would provide the grounds for the ruling party to extend its mandate for another four years.
Similarly, the General Secretary of NPP, John Boadu, has stated that NDC has no chance so far as the 2024 elections is concerned, assuring the electorate that Ghanaians would start seeing the impact of the measures the government has put in to revive the economy soon.
He explained that most of the problems facing the government are as a result of global circumstances.
“But for the initiatives in the agricultural sector, such as values addition to crops, among others, Ghana’s situation could have worsened. When this is sustained, I foresee that the people of Ghana will see the need to repose confidence in the party for another four-year term.
“It depends on how well we will also be able to put together our communication… we will be able to put together how things are and the way forward, and hope for the future,” he stated in a radio interview.
The NPP General Secretary’s comments also comes on the back of the EIU report, which concluded that the current challenges facing the country make the opposition NDC highly probable to take over power in the 2024 elections.
“Our baseline forecast is that ongoing public dissatisfaction with the slow pace of improvements in governance—such as infrastructure development, job creation and easing of corruption—will trigger anti-incumbency factors and push the electorate to seek a change,” the Report said.
