All don set for crucial December 7 election for Ghana afta di governing new patriotic party (NPP), name dia running mate to partner vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Dis happun more than six months afta di party don elect di presidential candidate in November 2023.
Di VP don settle on Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh wey be former minister for education and minister for energy.
Di medical doctor gatz strong NPP roots for di party im stronghold – di Ashanti region wey dem sabi say im be di perfect partner for di VP wey don take ova leadership of di party from outgoing president Nana Akufo-Addo.
Bifor dis announcement, names like Osei Kyei Mensah – Bonsu (former majority leader for parliament), Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum (education minister), Frema Osei Opare (Chief of staff), Apostle Opoku Onyinah (former church of Pentecost chairman), Bryan Acheampong (minister for agric), Naa Torshie Addo (district assembly common. Fund administrator) among odas don pop up as potential choice.
But di VP in consultation wit elders of di party don finally name Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh as running mate for di elections.
Wit dis, di top two parties don make set wit their presidential candidate and dia running mates – wey dem go hit di ground running to begin dey campaign.
Who be di candidates wey go lead di governing NPP to di elections
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia na di current vice president for di kontri wia im party pipo don select to battle di opposition candidate John Mahama for di elections.
Dr Bawumia wia don be running mate for outgoing president Nana Akufo-Addo for two elections now dey lead di party afta di president im constitutional term of office don end.
Di economist wia be di chairman of di economic management team don tok say im gatz di keys to turnaround di fortunes of di kontri.
Some opposition members and oda Ghanaians fire di VP sake of im no fit to deal wit di economic crisis for di kontri.
Cost of living don rise, di local currency dey depreciate against di major foreign trading currencies wia businesses don dey suffer.
But goment including di VP don blame di kontri struggles on di covid 19 pandemic and di war between Russia and Ukraine.
Dr Bawumia tok say im gatz di magic wand to fix di systems but oda sabi pipo tok say if im gat di solution, why im no solve di wahala while im still dey goment wey im dey wait to be elected as president bifor im go do am.
Di former governor of di bank of Ghana say make di pipo give am di steering wheel to drive di kontri to growth and prosperity.
Wit im background from di Northern region of Ghana, sabi pipo expect say im go fit get enough vote of pipo for di northern and three oda regions wia dey di north.
Dr Bawumia bin di next prominent pesin from dat part of di kontri to become presidential candidate or running mate for di governing party in di last 16 years.
Afta di governing NPP don elect Dr Bawumia as flagbearer of di party for November 2023, im gatz to elect running mate wia im go take campaign for di 2024 elections.
Di party constitution allow say di flagbearer fit to announce im running mate within 12 months bifor a major election if di president no be di candidate for di election.
But di national executive council of di NPP don allow make Dr Bawumia take some more time to consult pipo for di party about pesin im wan select as running mate.
Finally Dr Bawumia and di governing party don announce dia running mate for di elections – na Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh, di current minister of energy.
Di 56-year-old medical doctor don lead di ministry of education (2017 – 2021) bifor di president Nana Akufo-Addo appoint am as energy minister for 2022 until dem now choose am as di running mate to di VP.
Dr Opoku Prempeh wey plenti pipo sabi as NAPO, be strong party member wia im get roots for di Ashanti palace – Manhyia.
Di Ashanti region na di stronghold of di governing NPP, wia Dr Opoku Prempeh be strong pesin from dia.
Di choice of di energy minister according to sabi pipo be strategic say di party go maintain im strong hold and gather enof votes from dia, to complement di votes from di northern regions.
Dr Prempeh for many pipo na controversial pesin as since im time for di education ministry, im no gree for anybody.
Even for im current energy ministry, im no gree for citizens wen dem tok say make im provide timetable for pipo to plan dia lives during di power crisis.
Di opposition don describe am as arrogant – but im party tok say im be pesin wey dey “assertive and gat di charisma” to partner di VP for di elections.
Bifor im enta politics, NAPO don work as senior house officer for di national health service inside di UK, afta im serve as executive chairman of one company dem dey call, Keyedmap services limited.
Dr Opoku Prempeh bin represent di pipo of Manhyia for di Ashanti region as dia MP since 2009.
Im be one of di experienced lawmakers for parliament – but now im dey go concentrate on winning di general elections wit im flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Wit barely six months to di elections, im gatz to hit di ground running to begin dey campaign for di party.
Opposition NDC to di elections
Di NDC flagbearer na president of di kontri afta den president John Atta Mills don die in office for 2012.
Bifor dat, John Mahama na vice president from 2009 to di time John Atta Mills don die – so im serve di rest of di term of office.
For di 2012 election, im now stand as flagbearer for di party wey im win di election to become president till 2016 wia di New patriotic party (NPP) don defeat am inside one hot election for Ghana.
Even bifor im become vice president, di communication specialist don serve across di governance chain from assembly representative to member of parliament.
John Mahama bin from one of di regions for di north – Savannah region, wia pipo tink say im go battle Dr Bawumia for di northern votes.
But bifor Ghana pipo vote out im goment, di kontri don suffer one of di worst power crisis wey dem dey call am “dumsor”.
Dumsor na local language expression for di power crisis, but im goment thru some interventions tok say dem solve di crisis bifor dem lose power.
Di former president and NDC candidate begin dey promise 24-hour economy wia im say go deal wit unemployment and increase productivity.
According to John Mahama, pipo go run 24 hour shifts across sectors.
Im also tok say im go run “lean goment to cut down expenditure.”
“I go run goment wit only 60 ministers wia i go get office wia go vet all goment contracts and procurement wey dey above $5m.”
Opposition NDC running mate na woman
Di running mate for di party na one education professor, Naana Jane Opoku Agyemang.
Dis woman don serve as minister of education under di John Mahama goment for February 2013 to January 2017.
Bifor im enta politics, Prof Naana Jane na di first female vice chancellor of di cape coast university for 2008 – 2012.
Im use dat role take push education, gender, women and health matters wia di former president John Mahama appoint am as education minister.
For di 2016 elections wey di NDC lose, den vice president, Paa Kwesi Arthur na di running mate bifor im also die for 2018.
Afta Amissah Arthur im death, na so John Mahama now appoint Prof. Naana Jane as im running mate for di 2020 elections wia di NDC lose.
For dis year’s election, di NDC flagbearer don maintain di same professor Naana Opoku Agyemang as running mate.
Many pipo sabi say na great step towards affirmative action and women empowerment.
If di party win dis election, Ghana fit to get dia first female vice president.
Between dem, John Mahama na 65 years wia prof Naan Jane dey 72 years.
Movement for change flagbearer, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen
Apart from di two leading parties and dia candidates, some pipo for Ghana tok say anoda force gatz to emerge to give dem competition.
Ova di past 32 years, na di two parties dey run duopoly – if e no be NDC, e go be NPP, di oda small parties all neva dey fit to gather even 2% of votes during di general elections.
But afta young pipo don tok say dey need anoda force wia go be alternative to di two main parties, one former minister under di current NPP goment don resign wia im form wetin im dey call “Movement of change”.
Di fromer trade minister bifor im resign be ogbonge member of di NPP, wia im also stand for election to be flagbearer of di party two times, wia im neva win.
Na so im decide to resign from di party to form dis “movement for change.”
Alan Kyerematen tok when im resign from di goment and di party say im take dat decision sake of “unfair treatment’ by im party.
Im tok say some NPP party leaders and elders don hijack di party, wey dem dey favour some particular pipo.
Alan also add say im and im supporters don face “intimidation and hostility for di hands of some party pipo for long time, without provocation.”
For di primaries wey elect VP Dr Bawumia as flagbearer for November, Alan Kyerematen tok say di party breach dia constitution in di way dem conduct dat primaries to favour one candidate.
For im new “Movement of change” wia im tink say dem fit to challenge di two leading parties (NPP and NDC), di former trade minister tok say im go focus on di youth for im goment, if im win power.
Im dey promise to deal wit corruption, arrogance of power wia im go enforce discipline.
Alan also tok say im go unite di kontri and and build national agenda wit everybody inside – different from di way di NPP and NDC don run di kontri since independence.
Im also go focus on industrialization to build di economy and create jobs for di plenti young pipo for di kontri.
Months afta im form di movement for change, im announce partnership wit leader of di National Interest Movement wia a former convention peoples’ party (CPP) flagbearer Dr Abu Sakara don dey lead.
Di two don form wetin dem call “Alliance for revolutionary change” for April 2024.
Dem tok say dis alliance go “rally Ghanaians from various backgrounds wit emphasis on women and di youth to elect di first independent presidential candidate as president of Ghana”.
Di ARC say dey go form “all-inclusive goment of national unity wia dem go work wit all sectors of society towards national development.”
For dia manifesto (di great transformational plan), di movement for change tok say dem go “scrap di council of state regime, wia dem also go create second chamber of parliament wit all-inclusive members wey go govern di kontri.”
Alan Kyerematen also tok say im goment go abolish levies on import of spare parts and oda items.
New force – Nana Kwame Bediako
For February dis year, one businessman wey im name na Nana Kwame Bediako (alias Cheddar), don unveil imserf as di leader of wetin im describe as “di new force” for Ghana politics.
Di businessman man tok say im wan be president of di kontri even tho im no get any experience for Ghana politics – but go use im knowledge and connections to run di kontri.
Di 44 – year-old businessman say im go leverage di expertise and talents of di young pipo to create wealth and prosperity for Ghanaians.
Nana Kwame Bediako tok say di current NPP and NDC system neva help di kontri, na so di kontri dey retrogress wia di pipo dey become poorer.
Inside one press conference, im announce say im be di “redemptive force to save Ghana and its pipo”.
Im add say im take inspiration from Ghana’s first president Dr Kwame Nkrumah wey im dey hope to cause upset for di political landscape.
Among di tins im tok say im go do be “to deal wit unemployment, harness di natural and human resources and boost di GDP of di kontri.
Since dis announcement, Nana Kwame Bediako wey plenti pipo know am for di entertainment industry, don launch GHC 100m crowdfunding to support im agenda to to become president.
Nana Kwame Bediako dey promise to create one million jobs thru food processing wia im go “protect local businesses.”
Di new force leader also dey promise to revise wetin im dey call “excessive taxes on traders.”
Oda candidates and parties wey declare intention to contest
Apart from di ones we don tok about, oda pipo also tok say dem go contest di elections.
Four oda parties – di convention peoples’ party (CPP), di peoples’ national convention (PNC), peoples’ national party (PNP) and Progressive peoples’ party (PPP) all go contest di election.
Oda independent presidential candidates for di last elections for 2020 don come together to form wetin dem call grand coalition ghana (GCG) – wey dem tok say dem go win di elections.
Di interim leader of di 9-member coalition, Jacob Osei Yeboah don tok say dem wan form unity goment wia dem dey target at least 20 seats for parliament.
Oga Twum Barima Adu na anoda independent candidate wey show face say im go contest di election.
Im launch im campaign “to break di two-party governance for dis kontri”.
Im say im go cut public expenditure, deal wit illegal mining and ensure all goment contracts dey provide value for money.
Anoda pesin wey comot say im go contest di election as independent candidate na businessman Sam Ankrah.
Sam Ankrah tok say im be di “game changer” for dis election.
“Dis kontri dey need economy wey dem build am locally wey we need stability. Dis na wetin I dey promise Ghana pipo”.
Expectations afta leading parties confam dia candidates for di election
Many pipo including ordinary citizens don share dia opinion about di candidates for di upcoming election.
For Kwame Antwi wey be first time voter, im tink say wetin go influence im vote na di message of di candidates.
Im also wan see wetin dis candidate plan for young pipo like imserf.
“Di two candidates and dia running mates go do dia campaign but for me, whether VP or di former president or di former energy minister NAPO or di female professor Jane, I wan hear jobs, employment, health and our roads. If any pesin fit convince me for dis tins, I go vote.”
Joyce Quaye dey play di gender card. Im say im go vote for di party wey demonstrate say women dey important wey dem go give opportunity to women.
“Ghana no get female VP bifor, na if dis chance don come, I gatz to support di party wit di woman, na my philosophy be dat – wetin di odas go tok no concern me.”
For Johnson Aikins, di gender card neva dey enough. Im tok say im go vote for di VP sake of im dey believe in di party ideology.
“I tink say di VP fit to turn tins around so I go vote give am. All di oda candidates apart from di opposition NDC neva fit to get even 1% of votes, so I no go waste my vote for dia top.”
Political Marketer and lecturer for di university of Ghana, professor Kobby Mensah tok say di choice of a woman as running mate for di opposition NDC dey carry plenti positive vibes.
“Political opponents don dey attack dia opponent dia policy, dia candidate and di party imserf, so if dem no gatz any stain for di candidate, e don dey reduce di negativity.”
Oga Kobby Mensah also tok say “if you gatz pesin wey get good temperament wetin you go focus on na di campaign, no be di personality.”
“Di handlers of di female running mate for di NDC also gatz to read di campaign to know wat kind space dem fit take am enta, and what kind speech im for dey give to attract voters and media attention.”
Anoda ogbonge political analyst, Dr Asah-Asante tok say im gat no doubt about di ability of di governing NPP running mate, Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh di former education and energy minister.
“Opoku Prempeh dey bold wey im get free spirit. Im dey stand tall among di odas dat be why Dr Bawumian don select am.
Oga Asah-Asante don explain say “di running mate don demonstrate say im gatz di capacity to lead.”
For now everibodi don set to begin strong campaign across di kontri to convince more than 11 million voters to vote for dem on 7 December.
Say di voters go listen and vote for wetin dem hear or say dem go vote based on who go give dem money (sometin wey dey common for African elections), na only time fit tell.
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