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As part of NDC’s political chicanery, they are trying so hard to make Ghanaians believe that 61. 45% of 100% is a failure. This is counterintuitive. Last week Saturday, 4th November 2023, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) went to a poll to elect their presidential candidate for the 2024 general elections. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia won the contest by a whooping 118,210 votes representing 61.47%. His closest contender Hon. Kennedy Agyapong had 71,996 votes representing 37.41%. Dr. Owusu Afriyie Akoto and Francis Addai-Nimoh had 1,449 and 781 votes representing 0.75% and 0.41% respectively.
The NDC as part of their allegations, accused the NPP delegates of being whipped. We are yet to see who that majority or minority chief whip was and why he or she could not whip all his members in line. The NDC believes that Dr. Bawumia securing a 61.47% in his own political party is a failure on his part. It means close to 40% of his party members does not support his candidature. They also claimed that no presidential candidate has won the general elections with such percentage in their internal contest. Contrary to their suppressio veri, they have forgotten or have decided to forget that no first timer candidate ever secured even 57% in the history of the party. His victory in terms of numbers and percentages is unmatched as at 2023 as first timer.
Now, if it is the case that you need to secure over 61% votes from your party delegates before you can win the general elections, what happened to Former President Mahama in 2016? He had 95.10% of the total votes in his party primaries yet he lost the general election. It was the most cataclysmic defeat in the history of Ghana’s politics. Although, no one contested him in that 2015 NDC’s presidential primaries. It was a ‘Yes or No’ vote and 61,836 NDC delegates did not believe in the then President Mahama to lead the party so they voted ‘No’ against their President.
Way back in 1998, the late Prof. Fiifi Atta Mills the then vice president to J.J Rawlings was handpicked by his boss and founder of the NDC (Rawlings) to contest in the 2000 general elections. It shows how the party loved and believed him. It was a popular acclamation known as Swedru declaration. That did not save him from losing. He was defeated by J.A Kufour who had 64.60% in the NPP presidential primaries 1998 just some few percentage over Dr. Bawumia’s 61.47%.
Again the late Prof. Mills in 2002 NDC presidential primaries had 79.71% but he lost again to J.A Kufour regardless of the massive votes he had from the NDC delegates.
These facts clearly delineates that, winning the general elections does not require any percentage from internal party elections. It is about what the candidate has to bring on board to help solve the country’s challenges. Dr. Bawumia in his victory speech, stated his vision and direction. He tabled how is is going to manage the economy. Don not forget his ‘Blue Economy’ and Data Driven Systems Economy. It forced Former President Mahama to also come out and mention the 24 hours economy. One may ask, what was Former President Mahama waiting for since 2017 when he left office? The weight of the candidate against his opponent matters the most. Also the virtuoso and unity of the party is key to winning the elections.
Erroneously, we think the NDC is more united than the NPP going into the 2024 general elections.
My next write up will highlight how disorganized, derelict, decrepit and disintegrated the NDC party is.
Watch out.
*Master Planner Junior-Kintampo writes
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