Following the death of NDC’s founder Jeremiah John Rawlings, the National Democratic Congress party has become poorer for it, this comes at the time when the party still grieves it former President who died while in power and the sad loss of it immediate past vice President. This shock has left the party deeply divided as followers of these political juggernaut run in many directions in search for a new idealogue.
Political party all over the world pride on their heritage and her ability to tap into the human resource capacity of it past. A party that loses two (2) former Presidents and a vice President has not only lost it most significant history, but also risks a vacuum which can be of a dire political consequence to its future. It’s no surprise then, that the biggest opposition party in Ghana today seems to be in a dilemma similar to that of the CPP, which has supervised a decline of it political fortunes since 1992 out of the abundance of lack of Nkrumah’s replacement and charisma.
A recent poll, conducted by modernghana.com, an online and digital media outlet in Ghana, revealed that, Ghanaians will have confidence in the NDC, even if the party replaces it immediate past flagbearer in 2024. This reaffirms a similar outcome as was reported by EIU and EPPI on the need for a new candidate to lead the NDC in 2024 elections. While John Mahama& the Jane’s ticket placed a close lead ahead of Dr KwabenaDuffour&Haruna a former finance minister and Governor of the central bank, the margins was highly negligible error by a little above 100 votes. One with the slightest political antanne will be minded to look closely at the Duffour ticket.
As many in the NDC are concerned about the future of the party, a grin of hope points to a renewed faith in new leadership, yet many expect to see John Mahama winning from the backbenches as the party’s only bona fide living president. The expectation, no matter how unwelcoming they might sound, voter’s doubtlessness will have more certitude if former President John Mahama fills the deep god-father role and becomes the patron of the party.
The NDC as political party has steamed it hope and pollical goodwill from the Northern and Volta regions of Ghana. However recent data points to rather a sadden demise of that goodwill. The New Patriotic Party, has since 2000 proven to have a stronger strategic bid in these two regions while consolidating it base in Ashanti, Eastern and other parts of the country. One need not be a fount of political knowledge to understand the political impact of Dr Bawumia in the Northern regions in the recent elections in Ghana. A Northern Muslim Vice President from Walewale who likely is the next Presidential candidate of the ruling NPP if the polls are anything to go by, this can only be a source of worry for the NDC.
Many argue that, with the emergence of Dr Bawumia on to the pollical sphere, the NDC must switch strategy by picking a Northern Mulism in the stature of the current minority leader in parliament to level the fields against the Bawumia’s religious impact raging in the region. If this happens, the NDC must look southwards into Ashanti and compete fairly with a stronger force. This will be a difficult but a bold step to take the fight into the NPP’s base just like Bawumia is doing in the Northern regions of Ghana. As it stands, the NPP’s strategy to compete everywhere seems to have deliver a magic blow in Hohoe and many constituencies in the Northern regions and more of such will come unless the NDC and its leadership turn the wheel.
To achieve this transitional process, the party must be willing to make serious sacrifices, the first of it will demand former President John Mahama taking a back stage after a long political career, this will be one of the most important sacrifices required of him if truly the NDC wants to win the 2024 elections. This suggestion may seem absurd to the pro-Mahama advocates, but like Edward Deming put it “without data, you’re just another person with an opinion”. What the recent moderghana.com polls suggest can only point to one outcome, a new candidate with a fairer regional and religious balance will be the NDC’s magic wand.
If Bawumia becomes the first Muslim Presidential candidate on the ticket of a major political party since the fourth republican constitution, the NDC will not only compete for it zongo communities which forms the base of the party’s support, religion will be an issue on the ticket that votes must make decision on. But with John Mahama’s backing acting of a new candidate in the party, HarunaIddrisu, a Dagomba-Muslim, one of the largest ethnic groups in Northern Ghana will balance a ticket of a southern figure likely to be a someone with a necessary business acumen, academic scholarship and an unblemished public service record. This description strikes a Duffour-Haruna counterweight.
Like a friend like to put it, HOPE IS NOT A PLAN. The data speaks for itself, he who has an ear should listen.
Writer; John Nasir Yakuba
