The majority caucus in parliament has called on the electorate not to fall for the main National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its presidential candidate, John Dramani Mahama, in the 2024 general election as they have nothing new to offer Ghanaians.
Mr. Mahama, the majority caucus pointed out, is the same man who performed poorly as president and was heavily defeated with almost one million votes in the 2016 presidential election.
Addressing a news conference in Accra on Friday, Majority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin emphasised Ghanaians did not believe in the former President Mahama and that was why the electorate again rejected him the 2020 polls.
He said the opposition NDC with its flagbearer Mr. Mahama and his running mate Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang has nothing to show to Ghanaians to win the 2024 general elections except to engage in propaganda.
Looming crisis
The Majority Leader also cautioned that a Mahama’s government will come with lots of challenges key amongst them will be leadership crisis and lack of a sense of urgency to govern.
“We have the NDC candidate who has had the opportunity to serve as vice president and president. He’s been vice president for three and a half years before and he’s been president for some four and half years.
“We know his track record. He is the same person with the same old team coming to tell us that they have something to offer, but we know their track record.
The Majority leader stressed that in the unlikely event that Mr. Mahama is elected, “he has only one term, and there will be no sense of urgency. And we dare say that from day one that government will be in crisis because those party people will be struggling for who should be the next leader. Ghanaians need a stable government with focus… Dr Bawumia offers a better future than John Mahama.”
‘Bawumia offers better future for Ghana’
The Majority Leader has urged Ghanaians to remain resolute with their choice for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, flagbearer of the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) as the next President of Ghana as he offers a better future for the country more than former President Mahama who is staging a comeback for the third time.
In a comparative analysis of the two main contenders in the upcoming elections, Mr. Afenyo-Markin reasoned that Dr. Bawumia’s eligibility for eight-years in office presents an opportunity for him to introduce medium to long-term policies that would inure to the benefit of the country than Mr. Mahama who has been tested and has failed to deliver.
Mr. Afenyo-Markin who is also the Member of Parliament (MP) for Effutu in the Central Region, reiterated that “Ghanaians need a stable government with a focus and a vision. With what is happening in the world, we don’t need a government that will struggle from day one.
“But with Dr. Bawumia, we have a new person coming in who knows that he has everything at stake should be successful. So, he would have much more motivation to work extra hard to introduce new policies. He comes with new ideas and has already started with the digitalization policy which has created a new opportunity for the private sector to grow. So, comparing the leadership of the NPP and NDC, today, one has something at stake more than the other. Bawumia offers a better future for this country than former President Mahama.”
Mr. Afenyo-Markin who was recently elected as the third Speaker of ECOWAS Parliament urged Ghanaians to reject Mr Mahama in the December 7, 2024, polls, insisting that the former President has nothing more to offer and therefore should not be elected to govern the country.
NPP’s achievements
The Majority Leader took the opportunity to tout the achievements of the NPP government in various sectors of the economy including education, health, energy, roads and fisheries.
In the education sector for instance, Mr. Afenyo-Markin underscored the impact the Free Senior High School (SHS) policy has had on the vulnerable in the society.
He pointed out that enrollment has increased by 75% where access has hit a staggering 1.4 million following the implementation of the policy.
“Majority of the children are from vulnerable homes who couldn’t have afforded it if it were to be a fee-paying policy”, he noted.
Commenting on the Community SHS Project, popularly known as E-Blocks, which was introduced by the Mahama administration, Mr. Afenyo-Markin said after taking over the reins of power, the government under the leadership of President Nana Akufo-Addo completed 31 of the E-Blocks compared to 29 done by the Mahama administration.
According to him, 20 of those projects that were in different stages of completion, have been re-awarded and currently ongoing.