Mahama deflates NPP hopes

The race for the presidency has started as parties begin to put their acts together for the campaign season.

But, before the campaign reaches a crescendo, supporters of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are showing signs of giving up on any chances of their presidential candidate becoming president.

The only anchor to Nana Addo’s campaign, ‘dumsor’, has been cut off with the end of the load shedding programme visibly evident to all Ghanaians.

The hopes of the leading opposition party have been dampened with President John Mahama’s excellent delivery at the press conference at the Presidency to address issues of national concerns.

Though not all the questions were answered to the full expectation of Ghanaians, there is no doubt in the minds of those who monitored the event that, President Mahama is on top of the issues of the nation.

The President calmly listened to and answered each and every question that came his way with dexterity and clear demonstration of his communication acumen, leaving his detractors with extraneous complaints that had nothing to do with his ability.

Questions on corruption meant to depict him and his government as corrupt ended up exposing the ignorance of those who advanced them. Clearly, the questions rather ended up boosting his chances when he demonstrated his avowed fight against corruption that has resulted in the nation saving millions of Cedis from various court cases.

He also showed how he had changed the look of the fight against corruption by prosecuting members of his own party-a practice that was considered suicidal by ex-President Kufuor.

His humility also came to the fore with a visit to the prisons of Ghana, the first by any president of the country, to empathize with inmates and the setting up of a court in the prison yard to facilitate and accelerate the hearing of cases without compromising the tenets of the judicial process.

These achievements are leaving supporters of the NPP wondering what they would be campaigning against when the time comes.

Comments from the camp of the NPP show admission of success on the part of the President and dwindling hopes of Akufo Addo.

The achievements and apt attention given to matters of national concern is raising the chances of President Mahama against a divisive Nana Addo whose selfish New Year’s resolution for 2016 to become president, is largely becoming a mirage.