In less than 2 months, Ghanaians will be going for one of the most crucial general elections in the history of Ghana.
The 8-year Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led government is interspersed with disappointments in terms of the draconian domestic debt exchange program (DDEP), passage of e-levy and additional taxes to get a $3 billion IMF loan, arrogance of power, increased corruption scandals, etc. This current regime of Akufo-Addo and Bawumia has literally taken Ghanaians for granted in the way it conducted government business.
During the NPP’s Presidential Primaries, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was tagged as an establishment Presidential candidate because his boss, Akufo-Addo and his influential family members in government coupled with his appointees preferred Bawumia to Alan and other Presidential candidates then. Obviously, Bawumia is so loyal to Akufo-Addo that he cannot be his own man.
The choice of Dr. Bawumia as the first Northerner to be the Flagbearer of the Akan-dominated NPP tradition on November 4, 2023 sent shivers down the spine of the NPP, leading to the fallout of John Alan Kyeremanteng and suspension of some key NPP members for following Alan’s Presidential ambition of going Independent.
The poor performance of the Economic Management Team (EMT) under the chairmanship of Dr. Bawumia has tarnished the image of Bawumia and further dimmed the chances of the NPP in the upcoming general elections. Dr. Bawumia has on record praised his EMT for being a ‘solid team’ in 2017 but unfortunately did not live up to expectations over time.
Undeniably, Dr. Bawumia is part and parcel of the rots of this current regime. He has attempted so far to claim credit for the ‘digitalization’ agenda while running away from the incompetence and failures of this government such as excessive borrowing, more taxation, and escalating exchange rate, inflation rate, etc. exposing the weak fundamentals of this Akufo-Addo-Bawumia-led regime.
The claim of the Flagbearer of the NPP that he is only a driver’s mate and wants to be the main driver of the country is equally problematic.
There is every indication that voting for Dr. Bawumia in the upcoming general elections will mean that he will continue with the unimpressive record of President Akufo-Addo, of which Bawumia is centrally part.
Ghana has indeed gotten to the crossroads now. We therefore need to make a decisive decision and change the wrong direction that the country is pointed now through the ballot in 2024. For instance, the economy is poorly managed, national debt mounting, arrogance of power worsened and worsening high-tech galamsey operations destroying forest reserves and polluting water bodies in the country. These wrong indicators must stop through the ballot on December 7, 2024.
The John & Jane Presidential ticket of the NDC is more attractive, experienced and can reset and rebuild the nation for sustainable development when voted into office come January 7, 2025.