Henry Nana Boakye, the National Organizer of the ruling New Patriotic Party, says next year's general elections will not be easy for the government in power.
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) is looking forward to breaking the eight-year cycle of every government in Ghana since its democratic dispensation.
The party on Saturday, November 4, elected the Vice President of the Republic, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as their presidential candidate for the 2024 elections hoping they overcome the opposition National Democratic Congress for the third time consecutively.
The NPP takes pride in the competence of Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to give the leader of the opposition party, Ex-President John Dramani Mahama, a tough competition and retain the government in power.
But in an interview on Peace FM's morning show "Kokrokoo", Nana Boakye, popularly called 'Nana B', was hesitant about the outcome of the 2024 elections.
"Election 2024 is going to be, for me, the most difficult elections for the New Patriotic Party but my strong belief is that we shall prevail...As the National Organizer, I know that the battle ahead is going to be the most difficult battle but I say it to the glory of God that we shall prevail", he told Kwami Sefa Kayi.
NPP Presidential Election
The first phase of the 'showdown' election is over with the New Patriotic Party electing Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia to be their leader.
At the end of the contest, the Electoral Commission declared Dr Bawumia as the winner after he secured 118,210 out of the total of 193,346 votes cast representing an impressive 61.47% while his closest rival, Ken Ohene Agyapong, secured 71,996 votes.
The other contestants, Dr. Afriyie Akoto and Francis Addai-Nimoh garnered 1459 and 781 votes respectively.
The defeated contenders have congratulated the Vice President and promised to give the opposition National Democratic Congress a 'showdown' in 2024.
This is therefore to say that Ghanaians should expect a second phase of the showdown between Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and former President John Dramani Mahama.
Source: Ameyaw Adu Gyamfi/Peacefmonline.com/Ghana
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Interesting, but the very electorate who voted in 2016 and 2020 for which the NPP won are same electorate who will be voting in 2024 except that those who are new entrants onto the electoral roll will be added. Thus to admit that the 2024 elections is going to be the most difficult means something is wrong somewhere. People saw this coming and admonished you i.e. the ministers, CEO's MMDCE's and party executives to carry the party along but you failed to listen, now the reality has caught up with you. Former president Kufuor and his appointees knew how to move government and party along, for NPP move kufour and his appointees made, they looked back to ensure the party was closely following. Same cannot be said today thus the fears you are admitting now. It's only under Akuffo Addo that ministers, MMDCEs and CEO's are powerful than the party executives from the constituencies to regional to national. Bawumia and the other contestants were touring the whole country looking for human beings to vote for him, they were not touring the whole country to look for money or power, they already have that at least for now. This tells you that human beings are more important than money, power or influence. Bawumia has a lot of work to do. First is how to convince ordinary NPP supporters to make sacrifices again like we saw in 2016 because current the enthusiasm among NPP supporters seems to have diminished. The NPP seems to have a lot of good will among Ghanaians prior to the 2016 elections, unfortunately the power that be have squandered a golden opportunity to have made history for himself and the NPP at large. If you ask the NDC and John Mahama, they will tell you they had a message in 2016 and 2020, Ghanaians heard the messages alright but did not listen. Yes, Bawumia will definitely have a message in 2024, people will hear but will they listen? That is where the challenge is. Every Ghanaian with a voters ID card will be a delegate on 7 December, 2024 irrespective of their economic or social standing. Remember Akuffo Addo took over from president kufour in 2008 and secured 49% in the first round of the 2008 elections. This tells you the NPP was still the preferred choice of Ghanaians ,thanks to kufour and his appointees who had their ears on the ground and listened a lot. Unfortunately this 2017 elephant have very big ears like any other elephant but it doesn't hear. At best it hears but won't listen. But for this, Bawumia would have been closer to clinching victory than John Mahama. His master and finance minister have made communication in the NPP very difficult. John Mahama is definitely not the alternative but someone who listens to nobody but himself makes Mahama looks like a saint. In 2024 NDC will be attacking and the NPP will be defending. Footballers will tell you defending is much more difficult than attacking. Bawumia, a fine gentleman, unfortunately majority the current appointees are not correct, they are very greedy, inward looking, selfish, full of empty pride thinking that money is everything. Now it's about human beings, not money. Some of the votes Kennedy got in the primaries were " anger votes " from the delegates aimed at telling some appointees they are nobody's, unfortunately they used a cane meant for some appointees on Bawumia by not voting for him because they saw some unpopular appointees close to him. If not how can an "orphan" Kennedy Agyapong ' fight ' a whole government machinery rooting for Bawumia and got 37%+ , close to 40%. To those appointees expressing surprise as to how Kennedy got so much votes, should ask themselves. What have i done for the party support base in my constituency as MP, in my district as the MMDCE and in my region as a cabinet minister/ regional minister based on which i think the party delegates should vote for my preferred choice? Bawumia should monitor the MP's primaries by ensuring that no one is forced on the people, if you have worked hard as a sitting MP, you shouldn't fear competition. If he overlooks this, he may become president with a minority in parliament. The 2020 experience was a tip of the iceberg. Anytime Ghanaians are quiet as if they don't care about happenings in government, fear them as you head for the next elections. Bawumia must ensure that no minister be regional or cabinet minister follows him during the campaign. He should set targets for them in their home regions, if you are not popular in your own region, you can't be popular in a region where you are stranger. If you can convince your people to vote for you as MP but cannot convince them to give majority votes to your presidential candidate it means you have a problem. Who's constituency should your presidential candidate win to become president and appoint you as a minister? The trick you used to become MP, use same trick to get majority votes for Bawumia. If you are a minister and can't even win the polling station where you vote for your party, it tells you how unpopular you are in your own backyard. We are watching.