A capsule review of NDC party's cavalier campaigning frameworks

I have tracked the campaigning tactics of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) party from the beginning until now, just to understand their purpose.

Unfortunately, they seem to be completely out of sync with the current economic climate. John Mahama and his team are essentially causing chaos. Their campaigns have been aimed at discrediting and attacking well-respected individuals and groups in the country.

Having generally viewed John Mahama as wasteful after he depleted the public funds through numerous trips during his damaging presidency, we all expected him to retire from partisan politics to salvage his already tarnished reputation. Unfortunately, his desire to drain our fragile economy didn't allow him to step down.

It was particularly strange for a former president and presidential candidate to use the word "stupid" in attacking a fact against his strictest opponent. When our 5-year-old nephew heard that word, he asked, "Prof, who is that?" I replied, "Our former president," and he responded, "He lacks maturity and basic wisdom." I was stunned because if a 5-year-old can recognize this, then John Mahama is indeed immature. That comment was inappropriate and unethical, yet some people defended it. This shows that age and education alone should not be the sole criteria for assessing someone's reasoning ability; it should also include their capacity to think beyond basic logic.

It is undeniably true when John Mahama said that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia wasn't in his "class" and wouldn't engage in a debate with him. However, I was shocked when people criticized Mahama for this statement. The "class" of John Mahama is unprecedented in Ghana's history—it's remarkably extravagant. John Mahama squandered ¢15 million on guinea fowls and later claimed they flew to Burkina Faso—has Dr. Bawumia done the same?

John Mahama invested ¢30 million in afforestation under the 'SADA' project with no trace of the trees—has Dr. Bawumia followed that path? John Mahama used the country's resources to fly slay queens abroad due to his desires—has Dr. Bawumia done this? John Mahama remains the only former president of this country to be referred to as 'government official 1' in a corruption case—has Dr. Bawumia been involved in such acts? This is what John Mahama meant when he said Dr. Bawumia wasn't in his "class"—not in terms of competence and integrity, as it's clear that Mahama cannot compete with Bawumia in these areas.

The recent attacks by NDC activists against the Ashanti Kingdom and HRH Otumfuo Osei Tutu are extremely offensive and unacceptable. The Akan ethnic group is the largest in Ghana, making up 45.7% of the population as of 2021. As a political party, you must show respect to them to gain votes. The Ashanti Kingdom's influence extended beyond the Ashanti Region to include most of Ghana and parts of Ivory Coast and Togo. Due to its military prowess, wealth, architecture, sophisticated hierarchy, and culture, the Ashanti Kingdom has been extensively studied and documented by European, mainly British, authors more than any other indigenous culture in sub-Saharan Africa.

However, it is highly inappropriate to insult the people of the Ashanti Kingdom and their esteemed leader, HRH Otumfuo Osei Tutu, for political reasons. Scholars like Jan Vansina have described the governance of the Ashanti Kingdom as a federation where state affairs are managed by a council of elders, led by the king, who is first among equals. It was shocking when John Mahama said, "even if the NDC party builds roads with gold, Ashantis won't appreciate it." This statement shows that Mahama and his team have a deep-seated dislike for the Ashantis, and for this reason, the Ashantis should reject his political overtures.

The most distressing incident was when Edem Agbana of the NDC used a divine blemish to criticize the respected John Agyekum Kufuor. What!! Is this how the NDC wants to conduct their political campaigns now? Someone who isn't even worthy to untie Kufuor's sandals has the audacity to insult him because of politics. Such behavior has tarnished the integrity and respect of political discourse. The Bible says in Proverbs 11:14, "Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety." It is evident that there is no strong leadership in the NDC, leading to an unruly state where such foolishness is bound to occur.

At this point, it is clear that the NDC is using underhanded tactics to deceive voters in the upcoming election. Now that these tactics have been exposed, I am confident that their malicious efforts to gain political advantage will fail.