Ghana is on the brink of a historic moment as it prepares to go to the polls on 7 December 2024. This election, which will see the selection of a new president and 275 members of Parliament, marks a significant milestone in our democratic journey. The incumbent president, Nana Akufo Addo, is term-limited and thus ineligible to run again. Out of the 24 candidates who filed with the Electoral Commission, 11 were disqualified due to various reasons, leaving us with a final list of nine political party candidates and four independent candidates.
The leading contenders for the presidency are current Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party and former President John Dramani Mahama of the National Democratic Congress.
The president is elected using the two-round system, while the 275 members of Parliament are elected in single-member constituencies. This election will mark Ghana’s fifth presidential succession since the return to democratic multiparty politics in 1992
For the last thirty years, power has been transferred between Ghana’s two leading political parties, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC). Past elections have been very tight, and it is expected that election 2024 will also be very competitive. This is especially true given the equal numbers in Parliament, each party fielding 137 representatives.
NPP VISION
The 2024 elections are taking place in a period of severe economic difficulty partly due to the COVID pandemic, disruption of grain and other supply networks due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and deficient monetary and fiscal discipline. The opposition and other voices have also attributed the situation to mismanagement and corruption on the side of the Government.
Growing debt levels sent the country to the IMF for a bailout of $3 billion in a period of high levels of inflation. The ruling New Patriotic Party is, therefore, finding itself on the defensive. However, the party candidate has laid out a robust proposal to defend their legacy and their term in office, asking voters to maintain their trust in the party. Here is Ghana’s Vice-President Mahamudu Bawumia’s vision for his country:” My vision is to create a tent big enough to accommodate all our people, to tap into the resourcefulness and talents of our people irrespective of our different ethnic, political and religious backgrounds, to channel our energies into building the kind of country that assures a food self-sufficient, safe, prosperous, and dignified future for all Ghanaians, to create sustainable jobs with meaningful pay for all, and for Ghana to participate fully in the fourth industrial revolution using systems and data.”
The Electoral Commission’s reputation
The Electoral Commission, which has had a reputation inside and outside of Ghana for professionalism, independence, and integrity, currently faces some challenges from some of the parties, mainly the National Democratic Congress, which has accused it of being in bed with the New Patriotic Party to rig the elections after discovering some discrepancies in the electoral roll and calling for an independent audit.
The Electoral Commission has explained that the audit was not necessary and promised it was committed to correcting all anomalies and delivering a robust electoral register. After a recent meeting of the Interparty Advisory Committee (IPAC), which was called by the Electoral Commission to iron out issues, the National Democratic Congress seems to have calmed down the pressure. However, it still expressed doubts about the credibility of the electoral Commission, insisting that there was still a need to audit the Commission’s IT systems. Nonetheless, Mrs. Jean Mensa, the chairperson of the Electoral Commission, recently said: “The commission would provide a level of playing field to all political parties, through constant engagement and ensure avenues to address concerns, that might come up in line with the constitution and the electoral regulations.” She further reassured and said when meeting the Parliament: “The upcoming elections cannot be rigged in favor of any political party, and nobody, even herself, cannot interfere with the outcome of the election.”
NDC COMMITMENT TO PEACEFUL ELECTION.
The National Peace Council has called for the easing of tensions as the National Democratic Congress has said that it will not sign the peace pact, which is done before every election. The party wants specific issues addressed, including investigations into the deaths of 8 persons during the previous general elections in 2020, among others. The National Democratic Congress has also declined to participate in the presidential debates organized by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA), a public policy Think Tank.
After hosting the former president Goodluck Jonathan leading a delegation of West African Elders Forum in Ghana for a pre-election assessment, John Dramani Mahama, the leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), said:” We all want a peaceful election, but the peaceful election is predicated on the ground working and preparation that is done before the election, I am sure that if we do everything right in the lead up to the election then the election will be peaceful and successful but we are committed to a peaceful election and we believe that if we cooperate, especially with the EC that is supposed to be the neutral arbiter and umpire, we should be able to get it right again“
POLL PREDICTIONS
As the December 2024 elections draw closer, the political landscape is filled with anticipation. A recent poll by Global Info Analytics, an independent opinion research company in Ghana, reveals that John Dramani Mahama (JDM), the leader of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), is maintaining a considerable lead over Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (DMB) of the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP). The poll shows Mahama capturing 51.1% of committed voters, while Bawumia trails with 37.3%. Independent candidates Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten (AKK) and Nana Kwame Bediako (NKB) account for 4.1% and 6.2%, respectively, with other candidates collectively receiving 1.3%. Other polls have also put the vice president in the lead or both parties at par and predict a likely runoff since no party will attain the 50 plus1 mark. This potential for a runoff election adds a layer of suspense to the upcoming political event.
NPP CHALLENGES
The ruling NPP faces some challenges, both domestic and international, as election day approaches. There is the issue of Ghanaians’ popular cry about the cost of living and several demonstrations by several organizations against the Government over their conditions of service.
There is also the issue of illegal mining, popularly known as Galamsey, which has generated so much controversy due to the large-scale pollution of river bodies and the distraction of forests. This has also thrown the youth on the streets, and organised labour has given the Government an ultimatum to put in place immediate measures to stop the menace or face an indefinite nationwide strike that could shut down the country’s economy.
With increasing extremist activities in the Sahel, there is also the possibility of a spillover into Ghana’s northern border from Burkina Faso.
With less than 60 days before the elections, all parties have fired up their campaigns throughout the country, spreading the messages in their manifestos, hoping to convince voters, especially floating voters, to their camp. It is indeed a very tight race, and no one can be sure of the outcome. The cry, however, from the clergy, civil society, concerned Ghanaians, and the international community is for Ghana to have a peaceful poll once again.
Sources: Joy Online – BBC –