The former Communications Director of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) Nana Akomea, has put his party in a tight situation with a 2016 comment on the outcome of America election and its effect on elections in Ghana.
The current Managing Director of the State Transport Company (STC) ahead of Ghana’s polls in December 2016, drew motivation from the win of the then US Republican candidate, Donald Trump, who had beaten his opponent Hilary Clinton of the Democratic Party in the November 2016 election and insisted then NPP candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, was going to win the 2016 election, and his prophetic words came true.
The NPP Regional Chairman, Bernard Antwi Boasiako, alias “Wontumi” had also said there are several similarities between the US presidential candidate-elect, Donald Trump, his Republican Party, and that of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP.
Akomea and Wontumi’s arguments then, have find its way into both mainstream and social media discussions to the effect that Joe Biden’s victory, could also make Akufo-Addo, a one term president, paving the way for a return of ex-President John Dramani Mahama, but Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah isn’t falling for this, however, persuasive.
Mr Oppong Nkrumah, had in October remarked that “While Mr Biden was not rejected at the polls by voters in 2016, Mr Mahama was massively rejected by Ghanaian voters. While Mr Biden’s running mate Senator Harris is an accomplished senator who has added a spark to his candidature, same cannot be said of the NDC.”
Nana Akomea, had in an interview on November 10, 2016 told The Chronicle newspaper that “the win of the Republican Party and its candidate in the American elections hold important lessons for Ghana,” he noted, adding, “The first major lesson is that the American people have voted for change.
“This shows us that no incumbent government is entitled to an automatic retention in power. That retention in office is dependent on how best a government has fulfilled the expectations of the people.
“The second main lesson is that it is so easy for an incumbent government to lose touch with the real concerns of the electorate. The Republican candidate, Mr. Trump, made many comments that many found disagreeable and regrettable.
“At some points, he did not enjoy the support of key members of his party, including ex-presidents, the Senate Majority Leader, etc., who all spoke out against him.
“But obviously, he also gave voice to issues that really mattered to the majority of the American people, including poverty, deprivation, jobs, security, etc.
“It is very clear that President Mahama and the NDC government have lost touch with the real needs and concerns of Ghanaians.
“President Mahama, has lamented that his message and achievements are being blocked by some media people from getting to Ghanaians.
“The President is wrong. His message is not being blocked. The truth is that his message is simply not resonating with the real needs of Ghanaians, as was forcefully said to him by AwoamefiaTogbe Sri.
“The NDC General Secretary has likened the NPP and our flagbearer to the Republican Party and its candidate.
“The lesson for Mr Asiedu Nketia is that perhaps the NPP and our flagbearer are actually articulating the real needs and concerns of Ghanaians; the concerns about jobs, poverty, corruption, unbearably high cost of living, high inflation, collapsing health service, collapsing agriculture, collapsing industrial sector, etc.
“The NPP believes that as has happened in America, change is indeed coming to Ghana on 7th December.”
But long before the defeat of the American President, Donald Trump, Mr Oppong Nkrumah, on Accra-based Okay FM on Wednesday October 28, 2020 , shot down the assertion, emphasizing that elections are won purely based on track records and no historical antecedent.
According to the information Minister, attempts by some to suggest that a win by Republicans in the US, will lead to a win by the NPP in Ghana, are unfounded.
Mr Trump in the US has no similarity as a candidate to President Akufo-Addo of Ghana. While Nana Addo, is delivering several impacting programmes, including successes in the Covid-19 fight, the case of the US may be different.
“While Mr Biden was not rejected at the polls by voters in 2016, MrMahama was massively rejected by Ghanaian voters. While Mr Biden’s running mate Senator Harris is an accomplished senator who has added a spark to his candidature, same cannot be said of the NDC.”
“There is no similarity between the elections in the US and elections in Ghana. Their current President was a businessman who became a politician. Our current President, on the other hand is an astute lawyer and politician.”
“Their President is contesting a former Vice President and not a President who was voted out of power. For ours, Mr Mahama was voted out of power because he was a President who supervised hunger, unemployment, erratic power supply, and economic hardship. It is not the as with Joe Biden. So there is a vast difference in the politics of the two countries,” he said.
The lead up to the 2020 general elections in Ghana has seen political analysts and social media commentators draw plausible conclusions based on historical political similarity that exists between Ghana and the US with some arguing hypothetically that the results of the US elections could one way or the other decide Ghana’s electoral outcome.
He said the successes chalked under the ruling government is what will grant it success in the upcoming polls and not any political historical similarity.
“In 2016 there was a similar myth that you cannot win the Presidency if you are not named John. Nana Akufo-Addo beat John Mahama at the time despite this claim. It is about your hard work and not such comparisons.” He concluded.
Akomea, had told The Chronicle that the fact that Donald Trump, defied all odds to win the elections shows that the people of American wanted change, and this is what would happen in Ghana as well.
He likened the happenings in the US to the circumstances in Ghana insisting that the fact that Donald Trump defied all odds to win the elections shows that the people of American wanted change, and this is what would happen in Ghana as well.
“The win of the Republican Party and its candidate in the American elections hold important lessons for Ghana,” he noted, adding, “The first major lesson is that the American people have voted for change.
“This shows us that no incumbent government is entitled to an automatic retention in power. That retention in office is dependent on how best a government has fulfilled the expectations of the people.
“The second main lesson is that it is so easy for an incumbent government to lose touch with the real concerns of the electorate. The Republican candidate, Mr. Trump, made many comments that many found disagreeable and regrettable.
The NPP had at the time said the massive win recorded by the Republican Party in the just-ended United States of America elections was a clear indication that change was also coming to Ghana.
The then NPP Director of Communications, told The Chronicle that the fact that Donald Trump defied all odds to win the elections shows that the people of American wanted change, and this is what would happen in Ghana as well.
“The win of the Republican Party and its candidate in the American elections hold important lessons for Ghana,” he noted, adding, “The first major lesson is that the American people have voted for change.
“This shows us that no incumbent government is entitled to an automatic retention in power. That retention in office is dependent on how best a government has fulfilled the expectations of the people.
“The second main lesson is that it is so easy for an incumbent government to lose touch with the real concerns of the electorate. The Republican candidate, Mr. Trump, made many comments that many found disagreeable and regrettable.
“At some points, he did not enjoy the support of key members of his party, including ex-presidents, the Senate Majority Leader, etc., who all spoke out against him.
“But obviously, he also gave voice to issues that really mattered to the majority of the American people, including poverty, deprivation, jobs, security, etc.”It is very clear that President Mahama and the NDC government have lost touch with the real needs and concerns of Ghanaians.
“President Mahama has lamented that his message and achievements are being blocked by some media people from getting to Ghanaians.
“The President is wrong. His message is not being blocked. The truth is that his message is simply not resonating with the real needs of Ghanaians, as was forcefully said to him by Awoamefia Togbe Sri.
“The NDC General Secretary has likened the NPP and our flagbearer to the Republican Party and its candidate.
“The lesson for Mr Asiedu Nketia is that perhaps the NPP and our flagbearer are actually articulating the real needs and concerns of Ghanaians; the concerns about jobs, poverty, corruption, unbearably high cost of living, high inflation, collapsing health service, collapsing agriculture, collapsing industrial sector, etc.
“The NPP believes that as has happened in America, change is indeed coming to Ghana on 7th December.”
Issah Alhassan reported from Kumasi that barely 24 hours after the incredible results in the US Presidential Elections, the two leading political parties in the country, the NDC and the NPP, have started claiming psychological victory, ahead of the December 7 polls.
Supporters of both political parties had begun playing electoral mathematics and permutations, claiming the results will favour their respective parties.
The Chronicle had at the time quoted separate interviews with the Ashanti Regional Chairman of the NPP, Mr. Bernard Antwi Boasiako, and the Regional Secretary of the ruling NDC, Mr Raymond Tandoh, for their interpretation of the shocking results of the US elections.
To the leading opposition party, the victory of the Republican Party, led by Donald Trump, signals victory for the NPP in Ghana, whilst the ruling NDC, on the other hand, thinks otherwise.
The opposition party is basing its assertion on several factors, including the fact that both Donald Trump and Nana Akufo-Addo are in opposition, both have nearly the same campaign messages, in terms of reviving the economy through the reduction of taxes and creation of jobs, the two candidates are in their 70s, in terms of age, and the fact that both lead political parties that have internal issues amongst their leadership.
According to the NPP Regional Chairman ” had also said there are several similarities between the US presidential candidate-elect, Mr. Donald Trump, his Republican Party, and that of Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP.
He contended in an interview with The Chronicle that Akufo-Addo’s policy of revamping the economy, through job creation and reduction of taxes for local businesses, are akin to the clarion call by Donald Trump during his campaign to provide tax incentives to American businesses that have moved outside to comeback.
“From day one, I knew Donald Trump will win, because he was speaking the voice of Americans; they need jobs; most American companies have moved out of the country because of the unfavourable economic conditions.
“These are similar to what Nana Akufo-Addo has been saying here, such as the ‘One District, One Factory’, the Constituency Fund, and the promise to reduce taxes amongst others,” Chairman Wontumi argued.
Apart from the economic policy aspect, the NPP Regional Chairman further argued that both Nana Addo and Trump are in their 70s, as well as leading political parties that initially encountered problems within their rank and file.
“We have elephant as our symbol, and the Republicans too have elephant as their symbol,” the NPP Regional Chairman stressed.
However, the assertion by the NPP Regional Chairman has been strongly challenged by the ruling party, which is also giving a different twist to the outcome of the US polls.
According to the Ashanti Regional Secretary of the NDC, Mr Tandoh, the ruling party is taking lots of positive lessons from Mr. Trump’s victory and believes that will be replicated, come December 7.
Basing his argument on pre-election media hype, Mr Tandoh asserted that just like the various polls and media analysis putting Nana Addo ahead as the likely winner, the same scenario played out in the US elections, when all the polls said Hillary Clinton was winning.
According to him, the media landscape paints a picture that appears like there is a general call for change across the country.
“When you look at the way the media hyped Hillary Clinton and created the atmosphere that she was going to win massively, it is the same way the media here is projecting that Nana Addo will win,” Mr Tandoh noted.
However, when the attention of the NDC regional scribe was drawn to the fact that President Mahama recently stated that all the polls conducted indicated that he was winning, Mr. Tandoh said President Mahama’s pronouncement was based on his good works and remarkable achievements.
Mr Tandoh further asserted that though President Mahama is struggling to deal with issues of jobs and general hardships, despite the huge performance in the area of infrastructure, the general stability in the economy is what will do the magic for the NDC.
“We all know that Nana Addo is taking advantage of the cry of hardships to rise in popularity, this may not necessarily translate into votes, because many Ghanaians are aware of what steps government is taking to make things better at the end of the day,” the NDC Regional Secretary asserted.
But the current position by the NDC appears to contradict what the party held a few months back.
For example, the Vice President, Paa Kwesi Amissah Arthur, likened the NPP to Donald Trump.
Mr Asiedu Nketia, is also on record to have stated that a win for Hillary Clinton will be a win for President Mahama.
The Ashanti Regional Communications Officer of the party, Mr Samed Akalilu, also posted on his Facebook wall that the outcome of the US elections, would be a true reflection of Ghana’s December 7 polls.
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TheHeraldGhana
