Victory Of President Buhari, And The Resurrection Of Ghana's "Dead Goat"

Fellow citizens of the Republic of Ghana, if you are a casual reader of the Holy Bible you might have come across the verse in Roman 10:9 "if you would believe in your heart and say with your lips that Jesus Christ resurrected, you are safe" that authenticates the mission of Jesus Christ and the way to salvation in the Christendom.

According to the teaching of the Church, Jesus Christ resurrected on the third day and ascended to heaven after dying for humanity.

Since Christ, nobody has been able to resurrect after their death in the annals of our world's history let alone a "dead goat".

Few people could have come back from several days, months or even years of coma though.

After the resounding victory of former president Mahama at the NDC's Flagbearership polls, legitimate concerns have been raised whether that victory is a defibrillator to shock and resurrect the "dead goat" back to the Jubilee House, or just an exercise in futility.

For those who are not familiar with the "dead-goatism" Theory of former President Mahama and have found it difficult rubbing their brains around what I'm drumming home as a point due to perhaps, the "short memory" nature of the Ghanaian voter, let me travel readers down memory lane how the "dead-goatism" Theory came about.

During the reigns of former president Mahama as President of the republic of Ghana, he resisted every attempt to be made an "errand boy" in his own government by some elders in the upper echelons of the National Democratic Congress, NDC, who wanted to rule the country by proxy.

It was this situation that prompted the former president to propound the "dead-goat" Theory including the coining of the "Yentio bia" that later became synonymous with him in the Ghanaian political dictionary.

To cut long story short, President Mahama studiously and conveniently refused to yield to the unsolicited elderly whisperings of the party by referring to himself as a "dead goat" that won't bother about what its carcass is to be done with, whether being fried, boiled, or smoked!

Unlike Jesus Christ, resurrection of former president Mahama as the nation's famous "dead goat" remains doubtless fait accompli since it was nebulous if his "death" was for altruistic reasons or for parochial interest.

In order words, was President Mahama's lost of power (political death) because of charting the right economic path the people didn't like and wanted to test and taste the "forbidden political apple" of President Nana Akufu Addo, or the thick label of incompetence dumped on him by opposition was accurate?

Whether President Mahama "died" for the masses of our dear republic by charting the right economic path like Jesus did to mankind, or he died for his family and friends, one thing is certain: he might not be resurrected anytime soon!

Moreover, even if he "died" for the masses and because of the misrule of Akufu Addo he is thinking of going back to the Jubilee House, resurrection after four years might not be possible because even the Master Jesus Christ didn't remain dead beyond four days.

Be that as it may, whether former president Mahama will resurrect from his electoral doom to political glory and grandeur, or remain in "political morgue" and consigned to forever oblivion, the Nigeria's elections would have been a good indicator.

But history seems stubborn to repeat and reflect itself, and rather chooses to distance itself from political hallucinations by politicians.

Nigeria and Ghana seem to find themselves in the same terra firma of historical trajectory.

When that country discovered oil, Ghana also discovered oil. They lost their president Umar Yar'dua and Ghanaians lost their President John Mills.

Both countries' caretaker Presidents (John Mahama and Goodluck Johnathan) won controversial presidential elections to power that were challenged in their various Supreme Courts.

They both won their cases and became presidents their republics.

They both had umbrella as their parties' symbols and, interestingly, lost their reelection bid in the following elections with a landslide defeat. Mahama and Johnathan became one term Presidents.

Meanwhile, whilst the Nigeria's one term president chickened out of the race, his counterpart John Mahama continued. That's where their paths separated.

Many political astrologers and fortune tellers were soothsaying victory for Mahama had the Atiku Abubakar-led PDP party won the Nigeria's presidential election.

However, with the incumbent President Buhari retaining and maintaining power, even as his victory was Pyrrhic one and considered the greatest electoral heist in their nation's history, that defeated the Atiku Abubakar-led PDP, reality is beginning to dawn on the leadership of the largest opposition party in Ghana that their longing for power in such a jiffy may be a complete imagination of their figments.

The Buhari's administration and Akufu Addo's came to political power on the back of anti corruption campaign firmly staged against their various opponents in government at the time.

Alleged thievery and profligacy were the stock in trade in both Mahama and Johnathan administrations and their respected peoples voted them out in order to restore financial decency through new governments of Akufu Addo and Muhammadu Buhari.

After four years of Buhari's administration many Nigerians are literally dying of hunger. Meanwhile, their national debt profile ballooned from 22.4 trillion naira to about 73.24 trillion naira!

Similarly, the Akufu Addo's campaign that barked at the Mahama's administration for too much borrowing increased the country's debt stock from 122 billion dollars to 173 billion dollars as at October last year 2018.

The fight against corruption remains a sham in both administration of Buhari and Akufu Addo!

In the fight against corruption, both are interested in the agenda of pursuing political opponents than fighting the real toga of corruption practiced in an open camera.

As if that is not bad enough, it won't be hyperbolic for one to describe both Ghana and Nigeria as Abattoirs where journalists and ordinary citizens are slaughtered like cattle.

While herdsmen are "invading" Nigeria, Delta and other forces are attacking our Rule of Law in Ghana.

Now, the question that's begging for an answer is, if Nigerians reelect Buhari despite the cesspool of bad governance and pottage of unmitigated mess displayed over the last four years, and considering the chequered historical trajectory that is familiar with these two countries, would Ghanaians also retain President Akufu Addo despite the "limping" Ghanaian cedi against the dollar and the other international giant currencies of the globe?

Lest I forget, there are those who are engaging in "accidental sagacity" that President Mahama will win 2020 election because of his hands down victory at the NDC's Flagbearership race, and because of the not too incompetent posture of the current government.

Others with a different school of thought dismiss these political lunatics for dabbling in uninteresting hallucinations!

It is true that the recent "demo-crazy" we practice shows that today's winners are tomorrow's losers, because of the commercialization of propaganda, but Mahama may still have a long way to go.

Mahama's chances are bright if the government continue to play the ostrich and underestimate the flat tummies of Ghanaians.

However, our elders say the flour can never germinate no matter the fertility of the land.

A local layer (hen) may grow lean and lose some meat but not fat.

Besides, what former president Rawlings did to win '96 election, president Akufu Addo will do it to win 2020 election.

The tactics president Kuffuor used to remain electorally relevant in 2004 election, will be effectively used by Akufu Addo to win election 2020.

What former president Mahama allegedly did to win 2012 election, may be what president Akufu Addo will use to safely retain himself in power come 2020.

Until then, I will continue to be a Citizen, not a Spectator.

Long Live Ghana.

The writer is a student at KNUST, Department of Religious Studies.

Email: [email protected]