A blind political historian, Kwesi Afari Duodu Maleek, predicted ahead of the 2024 presidential election that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) would emerge victorious.
Known as the ‘Blind Historian,’ Maleek made this prediction in an interview with Kofi TV, drawing on historical patterns and the current political landscape.
“Looking at how incumbent governments in South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States have lost elections, it is evident that the change was inevitable.
“This should tell the ruling government that the wind of change is blowing. They must organise themselves and put their house in order, but the wind of change that is blowing — there is nothing they can do about it,” he said.
A political science graduate of the University of Ghana, Maleek also reflected on the psychological denial that often accompanies impending defeat.
“One thing is, it is not evident when defeat is imminent. Even when somebody tells you, you would deny it. You might even slap the person," he noted.
He argued that the choice of voting days hold symbolic significance in Ghana's electoral outcomes.
“The voting day is not favorable to the NPP. I have said it — if voting is held on a Saturday, the NPP will lose. In 1993, January 7 was a Thursday, and the NDC assumed office. In 2000, the election day was Thursday, and they lost the election. In 1996, Rawlings contested for a second term, the election day was Tuesday, and the NDC lost it. In 2008, the NPP lost the election, and the election day was a Sunday. The party also lost the election in 2012, and the election day was a Friday," he explained.
He added, “Mahama assumed office in 2013 on a Monday, and the Akufo-Addo-led government assumed power on January 7. The election day in 2020 was a Saturday, so they also lost it.”
Maleek warned against the misuse of religion in politics, declaring, “God will use the 2024 election to disgrace some pastors, all those who have been prophesying for their own parochial interests. This should be a warning to all politicians — that you can fool some people at a particular time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.”
He emphasised the significance of the people's mandate and their role in shaping the future.
“When the masses gang up against you, even if you have a gun, you cannot resist the power of the masses," he noted.
The President-Elect, John Dramani Mahama, polled over 52% to clinch victory in the just-ended elections, while the 2024 presidential candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, garnered 41.61%.
Watch the video below:
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After the December 2024 polls, there have been security concerns across the country. Catch Etsey Atisu's interview with security analyst, Adib Saani, on Election Desk on GhanaWeb TV below: