Vice President Dr. Mahamudu, the current global economic challenges notwithstanding, appears to be the man Ghanaians have confidence in to provide leadership for the country come the 2024 elections, a United Kingdom (UK) research group has disclosed.
A research by Info and Assessment Research which anticipates a straight fight between Vice President Bawumia and former President Mahama at the next polls, subjected the two to a poll, asking respondents from a nationwide sample size of 254,759 potential voters whom they would vote for in election 2024.
Forty-six per cent (46%) out of a total of 254,759 electorates (respondents) have expressed confidence in the Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia and said they will vote for him to be the next President of the country.
Out of the total number of respondents, 51 per cent said they trusted Dr Bawumia to do a better job while 42 per cent said they do not trust former President John Mahama in that regard.
Similarly, 35 per cent said, they would not vote for John Mahama with 41 per cent also saying they would prefer to vote Alan Cash.
The responses were the outcome of a poll conducted by Info Research and Assessment United Kingdom (UK) Limited, an independent polling company operating in 17 African countries from October 27 to November 3, this year.
The poll which was conducted through a face to face interview, took place in all the regions across the country with a margin of error of +/-2 per cent.
Some of the questions from the poll among others, bothered on which personality the electorates would like to put their money on to lead the country in the 2024 Presidential elections, the candidate they trust to do a better job, the economy as well as issues bothering on corruption.
Seeking the views of the respondents on the economy, 52.5 per cent attributed the current difficulties (hardship) in the country to the effects of COVID-19 and the war in Ukraine, 45.5 held a contrary view while two per cent said they were not sure.
Again, while 47 per cent of the electorates said, they were inspired by the recent speech by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo on the economy, 45 per cent said it was uninspiring.
On the speech by former President John Mahama also on the economy, 35 per cent of the respondents were of the view that Mr Mahama’s speech was inspiring however, 37 per cent out of the respondents disagreed with that position.
Twenty-eight per cent of the respondents further said “Mahama is not fit to give such speeches on the economy because they know his record on the economy when he was President.”
According to the respondents “the corruption record and incompetence baggage of Mr Mahama made him a liability to the country.”
They said they do not trust Mr Mahama to do better than he was the President since he was “too corrupt as President in all the infrastructural projects and procurement process he did especially in the Airbus Scandal.”
Focusing on Alan Cash as the possible flag bearer, 22 per cent of the respondents said they will not vote at all if the New Patriotic Party (NPP) choses him (Alan Cash) as that would be a clear endorsement that the NPP party is too Akan and tribalistic.
That, notwithstanding, 19 per cent of the respondents declined to vote saying both political parties are the same.
In all, 67 per cent of those interviewed who were registered voters with both voter identity cards and the Ghana card said they would likely vote in the 2024 elections.
Out of the total number, 20 per cent said they are registered voters but do not have a Ghana card yet.
According to them they may not vote because they are disappointed in both the NPP and the NDC but 13 per cent said although they have a Ghana card, they are yet to register and vote.
The electorates further expressed the opinion that between Mr Mahama and Dr Duffour, they trust the latter to do a better job than the former as the flag bearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Thirty-five per cent, however, did believe in the leadership of Dr Duffour who they said has no record or experience as President.
In spite of that there were 18 per cent of the respondents who were undecided but believed that Dr Duffour represents a breath of fresh air better than Mahama.
Majority of the respondents representing 41 per cent further said they would vote the NPP in 2024 because they believed they are better managers of the economy despite the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine which they indicated was the cause of the recent global economic downturn.
The NDC, however, had 35 per cent of the respondents on their side for the 2024 elections but they explained that it would depend on who they (the NDC party) choose as presidential candidate.
