Commentary, News

NDC 2024 election victory and John Mahama: Ghana’s political comeback

By Raymond Tuyi

In the run-up to the epoch-making 2024 General Election in Ghana, some said the apparent two-horse race between the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) was a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea; that is, six for one and half a dozen for the other, no difference between the two. But in the face of the litany of financial, economic and governance infractions that have characterized the NPP’s reign in the last 8 years, as opposed to the hard work the NDC put into their campaign, it appeared to be a stretch to postulate, that there was little or nothing to choose between the two giants of Ghanaian party politics.

Others also quizzed, if the NDC which was pontificating “change” had itself changed from the wrongs many say led to its definitive defeat in 2016? But it was the first President and independence leader of Ghana, Osagyefo Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, who famously said, “Ghanaians are not timid people as has been suggested in the foreign press. Far from it.

They may be slow to anger and may take time to organize and act. But once they are ready, they strike and strike hard. “It pays no one to tamper with Ghanaian freedom and dignity.” And, through the outcome of the results, the majority of Ghanaians did actually strike hard, in a largely orderly voting which opened and closed on Saturday, December 7, 2024.

As the provisional collated results started coming through on Saturday night and Sunday morning, it was clear that a mighty wave of a “green tsunami” was sweeping through the entire nation. From the NDC’s collated results from the pink sheets in the custody of their election observers, which same results the NPP’s agents also had, former President and flagbearer of the NDC, John Dramani Mahama, was returning over 56% of valid votes cast as against about 41% by his main contender, Vice-President and flagbearer of the NPP, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia.

The nominal figures also gave a massive difference of more than 1.5 million votes in favour of the NDC presidential candidate. For the parliamentary seats, there was a semblance of an overwhelming majority of more than 180 seats for the NDC, and less than 90 for the NPP and 3 independent wins in a Legislature of 276 members. Early Sunday morning, Dr. Bawumia, the NPP candidate conceded defeat in a gracious speech delivered from his residence. Even ahead of the official declaration of the results by the Electoral Commission, this swift and thoughtful concession by the NPP flagbearer effectively handed victory to the NDC’s John Dramani.

John Dramani Mahama and NDC Parliamentary candidates have won massively even in constituencies that were hitherto “no-win” and “no-go” areas for the NDC since the advent of competitive elections in this Fourth Republic. All that remains after the official declaration of the NDC’s emphatic win by the Electoral Commission is that President-elect John Dramani Mahama’s hard work together with the resolute support of the rank and file of the NDC will be crowned by his victory acknowledgment as he and his running mate, Professor Jane Naana Opoku Agyeman both make history in Ghanaian politics as the first president to be re-elected after another president’s tenure and the first female Vice-President of Ghana.

Now is the time for all to put shoulder to the wheel to help John Dramani Mahama, “The Comeback Kid,” as he takes a second bite at the cherry, to reset Ghana as he promised with the 24-Hour Economy and all the other policies of the NDC, that gave hope and inspired those who voted for them effectively. The expectations of Ghanaians, whether or not they voted for the NDC are high and the international community is watching. Let us come together in unity of purpose to move our nation forward. Long live Ghana and may the Almighty God be with us, bless our nation and make it greater and stronger.