The much talked about general elections in the United States of America, which saw Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump contesting on the tickets of the Democrats and Republicans respectively has come and gone, with the latter clinching victory.
And barely 24 hours after the election, has the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) ascribing reasons why it believes Trump’s victory has prepared the way for the elephant party to win the upcoming election.
Interestingly, officials of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC), who prior to the US elections made claims that a win for Hillary Clinton will be a win for President John Dramani Mahama, have all of a sudden made a sharp u-turn, ‘singing’ that Trump’s victory is a sign of triumph for their party.
Speaking in an interview with The Chronicle on Wednesday, Nana Akomea -Communications Director of the NPP said the fact that Donald Trump defied all odds to win the elections is an indication that the American people wanted change, and this is what would happen here in Ghana.
“The win of the Republican Party and its candidate in the American elections hold important lessons for Ghana,” he noted, adding “The first major lesson is that the American people have voted for change.
“This shows us that no incumbent government is entitled to an automatic retention in power. That retention in office is dependent on how best a government has fulfilled the expectations of the people.
“The second main lesson is that it is so easy for an incumbent government to lose touch with the real concerns of the electorate. The Republican candidate, Mr. Trump, made many comments that many found disagreeable and regrettable.
“At some points, he did not enjoy the support of key members of his party, including ex-presidents, the Senate Majority Leader, etc., who all spoke out against him.
“But obviously, he also gave voice to issues that really mattered to the majority of the American people, including poverty, deprivation, jobs, security, etc.
“It is very clear that President Mahama and the NDC government have lost touch with the real needs and concerns of Ghanaians,” he said.
Much as The Chronicle agrees with Nana Akomea that his argument is on point, this should not quench the fire that the party, especially the supporters, have stoked to ensure victory in the December polls.
The party must rally every Tom, Dick and Harry and move to all nook and cranny of the country, if possible, house-to-house and ensure that its messages have gone down well with the people to ensure total victory, come December 7.
Trump’s victory has brought to the attention of the world that everything is possible in an election, another reason why the rank and file of the opposition party must not rest until the election has been won convincingly.
The rank and file of the party should not also allow the numerous media hikes and prophesies making rounds in the country that, Nana Akufo-Addo will win the December 7 election to go into their heads.
Nana Akufo Addo, Dr. Mahamadu Bawumia and the rest of the top hierarchy of the NPP, down to the grass roots, should hold the bull by the horn and work very hard until the flagbearer of the party has been crowned with victory.
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