Many have still not fully understood what would make an incumbent government that started off very well with so much goodwill from the people struggle in a poll that nearly resulted in a loss of majority in parliament. Even moreso is the fact that the government had implemented many mouthwatering programmes which under normal circumstance, should have courted votes without difficulty yet, here we are with a hang parliament.
As a member of the party, I am doing a postmortem and stating the issues in plane language from my personal perspective and documentation of events leading to the elections. I rank the factors in order of importance.
1. The corruption factor
The government soiled its reputation from the outset with too many avoidable corruption scandals. The president behaved like a sitting duck and did nothing to deter his greedy appointees from dipping their hands into public funds. From BOST, Bissiw Agyapa, Ameri, etc.
2. The family and friends factor
There’re too many direct and indirect family members of the president in this government. This does not only trouble outsiders but dims the commitment of even party members. This undoubtedly played a role in this election.
3. The Anas and journalists factor
All the past glory of the NPP with regards to press freedom was obliterated by the incessant attacks of government officials or its assigns on the media. Not only did we see this sordid picture play out at the international stage through the low ranking of Ghana on the press freedom index, we also saw vociferous journalists like Manasseh issue damning verdict on government. The killing of Suale and the subsequent tarry response of government until international pressure begun to mount, broke the camel’s back.
4. The galamsey factor
Aside galamseyers being angry at government for taking away their daily bread, events of complicity of government officials including Charles Bissiw who was directly responsible for coordinating strategies for the fight against the menace, got neutrals disappointed. In essence, government lost on two sides – the galamseyers and those who supported the fight. Missing excavators was occasioned by the lackadaisical attitude of the president in using Bissiw as a scapegoat to deter others. Galamsey fight was a fiasco.
5. The primaries factor
It’s amazing the kind of silly mistakes the party drove itself into by some hijackers like Wontumi and his ilks. Thinking you can impose candidates on electorates was not only unwise but very stupid decision. This is why the president has been embarrassed after his relentless campaign against the fomena MP fell on deaf ears of the electorates. Similar mafia impositions and disqualifications happened across the country with the tacit knowledge of the top echelons of the party!
6. The Kennedy Agyapong factor
He’s good for the party when in opposition but a pin in the ass when in government. He talks too much and in so doing, steps on many toes which government has to collaterally pay for. His needless attacks on Anas, Manasseh Azure, pastors, etc got the supporters of these people angry at government and may not have voted for the government. His unsubstantiated accusations against the government including the $2000 bribe at the presidency, caused the party a lot!
7. The Martin Amidu and Domelovo factor
Nobody should underestimate negative consequences of the fight between government and the duo had on the elections. It was tactless for government to have ousted Domelovo from office. His ousting deepened the perception that government didn’t only dabble in corruption but also fought fighters of corruption. Martin Amidu’s last-minute shocker was fatal for the image of a government that had already bad reputation when it comes to corruption.
8. The Kevin Taylor factor
This was one pin in the ass of the government. His wild allegations against government gained momentum and made some impact on the everyday discussions in both traditional and social media. Baseless as his accusations were, some people believed them because on rare occasions, a few of those accusations panned out to be true.
9. Voter apathy factor
This is a normal behaviour of voters. Some party people may have been disenchanted with some decisions of the party. Some may have felt neglected because certain favours they expected were not forthcoming.
10. The NDC factor
The NDC showed masterclass propagandism throughout the period. They succeeded in making mountains out of moulds. This certainly swayed some voters.
In conclusion, while the NDC did nothing extraordinary to deserve a win, the NPP did a lot to give away this election. If the 8-year jinx is to be broken, then the party must sit up and discipline appointees who take the party down any bumpy road!
From my corner,
Michael Kweku Osei, the Party Activist
