Akufo-Addo: Hard work can replicate Buhari victory in Ghana

Ghana’s opposition leader, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has told party supporters from the Subin constituency that replicating the recent electoral victory chalked by Nigeria’s opposition APC and General Muhammadu Buhari is not impossible, but needs hard work.

Buhari, now President-elect of Nigeria defeated incumbent President, Mr Goodluck Jonathan by 2.5 million votes in the country’s national elections. It was the first time an opposition party defeated a sitting Government in Nigeria’s history.

Even though an opposition party has ever defeated an incumbent Government in Ghana’s political history since the 1992 constitution came into effect, a lot of parallels have been drawn between Buhari and Mr Akufo-Addo, as far as Ghana’s forthcoming national elections are concerned.

Nana Akufo-Addo turned 71 on March 29, 2015 and will be 72 by next year ahead of Ghana’s December general elections–the same age as Buhari.

Mr Jonathan, the defeated incumbent is 58. His contemporary John Mahama, who is Ghana’s incumbent President will also be 58 before the 2016 elections.

Next year will be Akufo-Addo’s third attempt at the presidency. Buhari’s recent victory came on his fourth attempt.

Supporters of the opposition NPP have been riding on the similarities to predict victory for Mr Akufo-Addo.

Speaking to a group of women who visited him at his Nima residence in Accra Wednesday, Mr Akufo-Addo said it is possible for a Buhari kind of victory to happen in Ghana in 2016, but added that such a feat can only happen with a lot of hard work by the party and its supporters.

He tasked party members to spread the “good news” about the NPP in all corners of the country, saying the party must let Ghanaians know that it has resourceful people who can steer the affairs of the country if elected into office. “We must not waste the opportunity,” Mr Akufo-Addo said.