John Mahama Is Desperate To Rule Ghana

Recently, John Dramani Mahama, a candidate for the NDC presidential race, launched his official campaign in Ho. This action served as an official declaration of his intent to lead NDC into the 2024 elections. Regional chairmen pledged their total allegiance to him with great fanfare at the launch, which was attended by a large number of party faithful. Insufficient time prevents me from describing the unfair play that has characterized the NDC flagbearer contest. I would rather argue for Mahama's eagerness to return to power as Ghana's president at all costs.

One might have believed that this launch would allow Mahama to tell party supporters how he intends to bring unity and strengthen the party's support base if he is elected presidential candidate. The primary objective of Mahama's SPEECH was to make promises as if he were already the NDC's presidential candidate and the 2024 campaign mood had been activated. Since losing power to the NPP in 2016, the NDC has exhibited this slightly odd character.

The absurdity of John Mahama's promises to do certain things if he is elected president of Ghana is of the highest order. It is also comparable to a leader who desperately wants to lead at any cost. His hasty and overconfident demeanour not only poses a threat to our democracy but also undermines the NDC's internal party organization. In addition to disparaging his opponents, Mahama is telling Ghanaians that he has never ruled this country before. The irony is mind-boggling, and only Mahama could adopt such a mismatched stance.

Why is Mahama in such a rush to rule Ghana? Surprisingly, he admitted that there is a lot to fix and that he is cancelling exgratia as well. He also claims that he will change the constitution and restore hope. He claims he will reset the BECE to factory settings. He claims he will run the country with fewer than 60 ministers. I thought Mahama would wait until the NDC internal tussle was over before making emphatic statements, however, it's somewhat concerning to hear him start making promises even before he becomes NDC leader.

When leaders adopt desperation as a means of ascending to power, conflict is inevitable. Desperation breeds discontent, miscommunication, and blind allegiance. What if Mahama loses the internal NDC elections? What happens then to his desperation? What would happen to Mahama's overconfidence in making promises to Ghanaians if he were to lose the elections in 2024? What type of leader does Mahama aspire to be? He is gradually becoming a threat to Ghana's democracy, and his party leaders should regulate him even before his insatiable desire for power leads many astray.

Isaac Ofori
Demographer, Human Rights Advocate, Educator