Source: newsthemegh.com
The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) is being advised to switch out its 2020 candidate for the 2024 general elections by the UK-based Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU).
If the NDC fields a different candidate, the EIU predicts that they will win the election in 2024.
Even though the NDC is expected to win both the presidential and parliamentary elections, the statement added that it thinks the main opposition party needs to select a new candidate, such as Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, to boost its chances in the upcoming elections.
“We anticipate that both the NPP and the NDC would face off in very fought races to acquire their respective presidential nominations.
“In March, former president John Mahama, the NDC’s 2020 candidate, officially began his campaign to win the party’s nomination.
However, the EIU noted in its most recent report, which was published on April 28, 2023, “the NDC could also choose to revitalise its prospects with a fresh candidate, such as Kwabena Duffuor.”
The previous finance minister has also stated his desire to win the party nomination.
The Unit emphasized that its fundamental prediction is that the electorate will want change as a result of economic challenges, the effects of debt restructuring, and inadequate governance.
The study continued, “The NDC thus stands a strong chance of winning the 2024 presidential election and securing a legislative majority.”
However, some political analysts have advised the NDC not to celebrate too soon before the elections in 2024.
With a new candidate, the biggest opposition party has not yet given its hopes a boost.
They claim that the NDC’s projected nominee for the subsequent general election, former President Mahama, does not have anything new to offer Ghanaians, hence the arrangement is not yet finalized.
In addition, with more than 18 months until the general election of 2024, there may be a turnaround in the economy of Ghana, as the nation anticipates receiving about $3 billion from the International Monetary Fund (IMF), as well as significant assistance from the World Bank and others.
In order to win the general election, the NDC, according to some high-ranking members of the main opposition party, requires a new candidate with no more political problems than answers.
Former President Mahama, who presided over the nation for four and a half years, was humiliatingly defeated in the general elections of 2016 and 2020.
He oversaw the worst power outages in the fourth republic of the country for around four years, during which Ghanaians suffered from “dumsor,” which culminated in the failure of businesses, the loss of jobs, and a generalized economic downturn.
Due to all of these, he was defeated in the last two elections by the electorate.
Despite his disastrous track record, former president Mahama—who once said “Ghanaians have short memories”—is running again for a single four-year term to finish what his supporters have referred to as unfinished business.
However, some prominent NDC members, including Mr. Fritz Baffour, a former MP for Ablekuma South and former minister of information, concurred in recent interviews that the main opposition party can only win the 2024 elections with a new candidate, such as Dr. Kwabena Duffour.
Others, such as Kojo Bonsu, a 2020 NDC presidential candidate, Yaw Boateng Gyan, and Solomon Nkansah, a former NDC national communications officer, agree that former President Mahama is a “damage commodity” that the main opposition party should avoid running against him in the 2024 elections.
For the purpose of choosing its presidential and legislative candidates, NDC will hold its primaries simultaneously on May 13, 2023.
The three candidates running for the NDC presidency are former president Mahama, Dr. Kwabena Duffuor, a former finance minister and governor of the Bank of Ghana (BoG), and Kojo Bonsu, a former mayor of Kumasi.
Mr. Mahama and business tycoon Kwabena Duffuor are thought to be the front-runners, though.
Before the pivotal election, the two presidential candidates are traveling the nation to court party delegates.
While former president Mahama is busy using highly offensive language to attack the governing NPP and already claiming victory in the primary elections, Dr. Duffuor is offering alternative policies to party supporters on how to transform the Ghanaian economy and also revitalize NDC’s chances in the upcoming general election.
The newspaper has also learned that Dr. Duffuor is well received by party delegates during his campaign tours, with the exception of constituency chairmen who are compelled to avoid him. Dr. Duffuor oversaw the management of the economy while serving as Minister of Finance for the former NDC government, which helped achieve a single-digit inflation rate for more than a year.