The 2024 general elections in Ghana was fiercely fought, especially between the two main contenders, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Mahamudu Bawumia and the National Democratic Party’s (NDC) John Dramani Mahama.
The pre-election political campaign was marked by some not too positive happenings such as name calling, mudslinging, insults, the use of negative propaganda, blackmail right down to violence and in some instances people loosing their property and lives.
Come election day December, 7 and over, the storm seems to be over.
The post election demeanor of both the NPP and the NDC finds one wondering if these were the two political parties who were at each other’s necks at the risk of limb and life.
It starts with the NPP’s Mahamudu Bawumia throwing in an early towel by calling his main contender to conced defeat whilst congratulating him, promising him to support him in nation building, a feat that is alien to African politics.
Then comes the sobber response of the NDC’s John Mahama by announcing to the Nation the deed of Bawumia.
The star performance that was eye-catching was the response of the most vitriolic of the NDC’s communicators such as Sammy Gyamfi who praised Bawmia by reference him as an astute and true statesman, one would wonder if he was referring to the same person he was criticizing a couple of weeks ago.
So much water has passed under the bridge, although there have been some pockets of elections violence and malpractices, lose of life, the country seems to be prepared to settle for normal life ounce more.
The NPP’s Peter Mac Manue, a former chairman of the party, has called for the party to use the coming four year period they would be out of office, to go back to the drawing board to find out what went wrong and what should be done in the coming years.
What indeed is common in African politics is boycotts, political violence, strikes and in more civil instances court suits.
The 2024 general elections in Ghana is a game changer with the political leaders showing political maturity, with former Nigerian president, Goodluck Jonathan heaping praises on Ghana for holding a credible election.
One is yet to find out if this would translate to the common man on the street especially that both parties have conceded that the country is plagued with economic hardship, corruption, and other negatives retrogressive to the development of the nation.
