When Donald Trump swept both the popular and Electoral College voteson November 5, 2024, NDC reminded Ghanaians that it was an omen. An ex-president in the US beat a sitting vice president to win elections. In Ghana, an ex-president was contesting a sitting vice-president and would be beaten by an ex-president.
Of course, some of us debunked that. The culture used to be like this. Since 1992, whenever a democrat won in America, the NDC will win in Ghana and whenever a republican won in America, the NPP will win in Ghana. It was so from 1992 until things however became complicated in 2020, when Biden (Dem) came and Nana Addo (NPP) came.
What was going to happen in Ghana, in 2024, when Trump (Rep) staged a comeback? The rest is history.
After the results of the elections,the map of Ghana was painted in green and blue, it was a very beautiful site. From space, Ghana looked like a vast area, rich in lush greenery of vegetation and smaller areas of blue water bodies. It was what those who care about the environment, will be very pleased to see.
But beneath this lush greenery look from space, Ghana’s environmental situation is scary. The environmental degradation topped by irresponsible mining called galamsey, spelt disaster for the country. The president promised to lay down his presidency in the fight against galamsey. All his efforts ended up rather worsening the situation. It was as if, irresponsible miners dared him to dare them. The president only raised his arms and gave up the fight.
H.E. John Dramani Mahama has come back as strong as Donald Trump of the US. His re-election into office cannot be dismissed as mere luck, because the NPP votes did not come. It was like two powerful teams meeting in a cup final. The fact that one team came with a weaker side does not mean that if it lost the match, the victor should not be acknowledged and praised.
John Mahama’s victory was a truly genuine show of love and trust by Ghanaians, to the only president of the Fourth Republic who did only one term.What made Ashanti region add on over 40,000 more votes to his overall votes than it did in 2020 and reduce the NPP flag bearer, Bawumia by over 600,000 votes less than it gave Nana Addo of NPP in 2020?
Ashanti region did not trust the current NPP and even though it will still vote for the party, it would not give them enough votes to win the general elections. The party must go elsewhere.
The fate and future for political parties will depend on how the NDC handles this country in the next four years. The era of an independent presidential candidate being elected president, looms very close. Take a rather unknown independent candidate, Nana Kwame Bediako, winning 84,478votes (0.05%) as at day of declaration was more than all the votes established political parties like CPP, NDP, ACP among others could harness. These political partes could all together gain 83,624 votes. Together all the independent candidates, Kwame, Alan, Kofi and John gained 122,091 votes of 0.01% of valid votes cast, while six established political parties had 83,624 votes or 0.007% of valid votes cast on declaration day.
Should the NDC slip as NPP did, the independent candidates would only have to come together and make one of them their flag bearer and Ghana would kiss political parties, forming government good-bye.
NDC is back and has painted Ghana green. We pray that for the sake of Ghana, we must all support this government and bring out our opinions even if diverse to help John Mahama turn this country round. The voice of Ghanaians has spoken and the non-NDC Ghanaians should not watch and pray that this new government fails. We must contribute no matter how little to guide the new NDC government on the right path. It is Ghana which will benefit, it is Ghana that matters here.
If we all help John Mahama to move this country forward, the next political party or independent president, who will form government will move the country further up and this will continue until we become a first world country.
Our desire is not to make this new government fail and say, “they say they can do it, let us see what they can do!” Our desire should be to help move Ghana forward.
H.E. John Dramani Mahama, some of us were very nasty to you during your campaign, please take it as mere political-talk, as Hon Betty Mould Iddrisu will say.
If with Free SHS and many infrastructural developments, Ghanaians will still reject NPP, then there is something we want from our political leadership.
H.E. John Dramani Mahama, it was God who brought you this victory, please go and acknowledge Him with thanksgiving in your church. Your victory was ordained by God, but not the God who those so-called prophets serve. Our God uses only people with humility to serve Him in His vineyard, not the arrogant and proud men who parade themselves as people who dine and wine with God. They are all false prophets. May you be blessed by Jesus in the Most Holy Sacrament of the Altar, Amen. May Ghana move to a higher level in four years.
By Hon Daniel Dugan
Editor’s note: Views expressed in this article do not represent that of The Chronicle
