The challenge of the NDC: Who runs with John Dramani Mahama in 2024

It is said that the greatest invention of man is excuse. The current economic challenges and the destruction of facets of national life is blamed by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) government on the Covid -19 pandemic and the Russia- Ukrainian war.

However, you should not under estimate the NPP. The opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) must do its homework well and diligently if it should want to unseat the NPP in the 2024 elections.

In the 2020 general election the NPP won the Central Region with Prof. Jane Mensah as running mate. The late vice-president, Amissah- Arthur did not help much in 2016 and was even worse off in that election.

We should not forget that with the late Prof Atta Mills as presidential candidate, the NDC lost woefully in the Central Region and even his own hometown. 2004 was not a different matter.

The late Kow Arkaah who was leader of the National Convention party who was made vice to president Rawlings also hailed from the Central Region later allied with the New Patriotic Party. The Central Region has not been a traditional strong hold of the NDC.

The reliance on the Central Region’s votes for the NDC has not proven strategic and therefore there is a need for a change in strategy to reflect the character and demography of Ghanaian politics.

In ethnographic terms which largely informs voter choices, ethnic balance in frontline leadership cannot be ignored. The NDC must come to terms with the fact that the consolidation of your stronghold is imperative for any electoral victory.

The NPP for example always holds on to the Mole-Dagbani tribal areas and has improved its votes . The Ga-Dangbe-Ewe historic cultural group has long been denied the running mate slot even though it has proved utmost loyalty to the NDC.

The call by a large section of the NDC for Prof. Jean Mensah to be dropped as running mate is in order. That is why the support for Mr. Leslie Mensah Tamakloe, a long standing dedicated member of the party with a well-established career in developmental economics and information technology is welcome.