Is John Mahama Truly An Opposition Leader?

John Dramani Mahama, the aspiring leader of the National Democratic Party (NDC), has been on the political scene for over two decades, serving as Vice President and later President of Ghana from 2009 to 2017. He lost the 2016 elections to the current President, Nana Akufo-Addo, and also lost the 2020 elections to him. Despite these losses, Mahama remains popular within the NDC, and many believe he is the best candidate to lead the party in 2024.

But John Mahama has failed to learn from his past electoral defeats and appears to be struggling to move on from his bitter loss in the 2016 elections. With the NDC primaries and flagbearer selection imminent, Mahama is campaigning vigorously to rally the party's grassroots support behind his candidacy. However, his campaign has been dominated by a focus on attacking the incumbent NPP party rather than outlining his vision for the future and addressing the concerns of Ghanaians. Mahama's approach is concerning, as it suggests that he is still bitter about his past defeat and is unable to forgive himself and the NPP for the kind of opposition he faced during that time. Instead of focusing on his party's policies and what he would do differently as a leader to win the next election, he is fixated on ridiculing the current administration. This is not what an opposition leader should be doing.

While it is understandable for Mahama to criticize the current government's performance, he needs to offer a clear alternative to their policies. Merely attacking the government without offering solutions could be seen as a sign of weakness and lack of leadership. Furthermore, Mahama's campaign style appears to be focused more on winning over the NDC faithful than appealing to all Ghanaians. This could be a strategic mistake, as he needs to broaden his appeal beyond his party's base to win the presidency. Moreover, Mahama's bitterness over his past losses could be clouding his judgment and preventing him from seeing the bigger picture. He needs to show that he has learned from his mistakes and is willing to do things differently this time around. Again, Mahama's attacks on the current administration's leaders, including Vice President Bawumia, are unnecessary and misguided. They divert attention from the critical issues facing the country and do not contribute to constructive political discourse. It is surprising to observe that Mr Mahama is directing criticisms towards Bawumia and Akufo-Addo, without considering the possibility of their departure from power in 2024 and subsequent replacement by new leaders within the New Patriotic Party (NPP).

I pondered, "Can Mahama truly be considered an opposition leader? What is he striving for? What kind of hope does he offer to those who lost faith in him in 2016 and 2020? The NDC seems to be assuming an easy victory in the 2024 elections, and Mahama is placing his bets on the current state of the economy. However, the political landscape in Ghana is constantly evolving, and Mahama and the NDC must be aware of this. They must provide Ghanaians with a viable alternative to the NPP's lacklustre performance and corruption. Otherwise, Ghanaians may perceive them as no different and choose to stick with the NPP in 2024.

John Mahama needs to refocus his campaign on the issues that matter to Ghanaians and outline his vision for the future. He must demonstrate that he is a credible alternative to the current administration and that he has learned from his past mistakes. Otherwise, he risks becoming irrelevant in the eyes of the electorate and failing to lead his party to victory in the next elections.

Isaac Ofori
(Demographer, Social Activist, Human Rights Advocate, Educator)