The atmosphere at last week’s NDC’s delegates’ conference at the Trade Fair Site in Accra, was vibrant, exciting and full of hope.
Party members were in a celebratory mood, jubilant and enthused, apparently buoyed by the fact that the party appeared to have put its seemingly interminable/endless squabbles behind it, and was on a comeback from the disastrous 2016 general elections.
The party had convened in the nation’s capital to elect national officials who would run its affairs for the next two years. It was from all indications a very successful confab.
Not unexpected, party hierarchy did not disappoint at the conference; it gave rousing speeches to re-energize the party faithful, but better still to prepare supporters for the 2020 general elections.
For their part, supporters enthusiastically and unfailingly vowed to stay truthful to the newly elected executives and to stand firmly behind them as they strategize and devise methods to propel the party to new heights.
All what transpired at the NDC conference was to be expected of a party in opposition. Often relegated to the background and shut out of the decision making process, it has to demonstrate that it is relevant even in defeat and that it can contribute to the country’s progress.
It has been two years since the party was resoundingly trounced at the polls. It is not something the party wants to revisit but it has learnt valuable lessons from the humiliating debacle.
To this end, the NDC has vehemently raised its voice in parliament, challenging and ultimately opposing certain policies the ruling NPP has advanced.
Yes, the NDC is beginning to see light at the end of the tunnel, so to speak. It is starting to dream big again, of returning to political nirvana.
Ironically, the political fortunes of the NDC are being helped along the way by the NPP’s inept management of the economy. As Ghanaians will readily testify, times are hard but solutions difficult to come by.
So, be that as it may, the NDC invariably sees an opening in the NPP’s struggles to right the economy; it wants to capitalize on the growing public’s discontent to wrest power from its arch nemesis.
But the NDC must tread real carefully; Ghanaians may be swimming in rough financial seas, but that does not necessarily mean they are eager to change political leadership anytime soon. Besides harping on the weak economy and other vulnerable spots of the NPP, there are several things the NDC must do to win over Ghanaians.
For starters, it must articulate a vision that corresponds and meshes with the hopes and aspirations of Ghanaians. In addition, it must commit wholeheartedly and without any pretensions to the fight to end corruption in all shapes, sizes and forms.
What is more, the NDC should swear an oath to Ghanaians that it would avoid making grandiose campaign promises it can’t possibly fulfill once it wins back power. It should rather tell Ghanaians the hard, bitter truth which is that rebuilding the economy will take a fairly long time.
Campaign promises are death traps that politicians foolishly fall into. This is exactly what is causing the NPP a lot of grief.
All told, the NDC shouldn’t for once think the road to Jubilee House is going to be a cakewalk, too easy. It should not think it has the silver bullet to Ghana’s problems.
No, sir, it is going to be a long hard struggle against a formidable opponent, a political enemy who will use the power of incumbency to thwart its efforts. It should therefore sharpen its weapons and prepare for a really tough fight ahead.
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