Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyeman has been officially outdoored as John Mahama’s running mate for the 2024 presidential elections. In accepting the nomination on Wednesday April 24th, 2024 she delivered a speech that touched on several important issues as Ghanaians get ready to decide which political party’s candidate gets their nod come December 2024.
Key Points From The Speech
First, Prof. recognizes the historic moment she faces – the real prospect of Ghana’s first female Vice-President and credits John Mahama for affirming his belief in, as she puts it “the capabilities of the Ghanaian woman.” As I recently shared, her nomination is historic in the sense that for the first time, one of the parties in our duopoly, has opened the political space in a very intentional way to a female running mate. Those who profess support for increasing female participation in politics and governance must demonstrate that commitment in very intentional ways and this is one way to do it.
Second, is how Prof. frames the purpose of this election. While she recognizes that a win for the NDC offers several things – a) the return of the party to power; b) the return of a former president to power; c) the making of history by electing Ghana’s first female Vice-President, etc. the election has a purpose that transcends all these things. That transcending purpose is based on what she believes, is the current state of the nation. If I were to sum it up in my own words, the 2024 election is about “restoring the soul of the nation.” It is a unique and powerful way of framing the election especially because the recurring question post her nomination has been about whether she can bring in the votes and help the party win in important places like the Central Region.
Third, Prof. describes the ways she envisions a John Mahama-Naana Jane administration being different from the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration. In elections, parties and candidates must find ways to show clear contrast between themselves and their opponents. It is a way of helping voters weigh the consequences of their vote even though the future can sometimes be unpredictable. Nonetheless, the contrasting is very important because as it is often said “elections have consequences.”
Fourth, Prof. takes the “fight” right to the doorsteps of the ruling party, a very sharp contrast to her acceptance speech in 2020. In her speech, she highlights several shortcomings of the current administration with force and conviction. It is the clearest sign that more than just being the running mate of JDM, she will also play the role of prosecutor as the NDC makes the case against the NPP in the upcoming elections.
Fifth, in calling out the Electoral Commission directly, and demanding transparency, it does appear that the relationship between Ghana’s main opposition party and the institution continues to be a work in progress. I applaud the party’s decision to return to the Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC) and hope that it serves as an important platform to address issues of concerns the party still has. Trust is an important ingredient for all institutions. The Electoral Commission needs all the trust it can get from Ghanaians and all those who will be contesting in this year’s election.
In The Final Analysis
Prof.’s nomination is well received. According to the Global Info Analytics poll, support for John Mahama’s decision to retain her as running mate breaks down as follows – a) overall, six out of ten (60%) Ghanaians approve; b) eight out of ten (79%) NDC partisans approve; c) five out of ten (49%) NPP partisans approve; and d) five out ten (54%) of floating voters approve. The NDC will undoubtedly hope that this positive reception will translate into more votes for the party come December. Time will tell.
The speech gives Ghanaians a lot to reflect on. It is now up to the voters to choose how they respond to the message delivered. The political winds appear to be blowing favorably in the direction of the NDC. As we await more polls and pre-election surveys, the one out currently (Global Info Analytics) puts John Mahama ahead of Dr. Bawumia.
The most important poll though is what happens on election day. Which is why I conclude with the brief remarks of the party’s chairman Mr. Johnson Asiedu Nketia. He warned the party to guard against complacency. A very important warning. Victory is not won until the actual votes are cast, counted, and a winner declared by the Electoral Commission. The election is still eight months away and it will be premature for the NDC to be celebrating based on positive poll results.
The chairman is right to issue this warning to the party’s faithful. In politics, you can never take anything for granted.