Parliamentary candidates must invest in research to determine their fate in the 2024 elections and beyond

Competing in a national event such as a political party contest or election should not be taken for granted especially given the huge financial resources that go into election campaigns, be it money, time, energy, risk, people, and the electorate who will eventually decide who they prefer to represent them as a legislature and development agent.

The first large elections of Members of Parliament to the legislature took place in 1951 when 75 Members of Parliament were elected to represent their electoral constituencies.

With the smooth democratic transition in Ghana’s fourth republic, the elections of Parliamentary Candidate or Members of Parliament representing the various registered or recognized political parties or Independent candidates have witnessed and remained stable without any military coup d’état that sometimes characterized the legislature being dissolved since 1992.

Parliamentary Candidates or aspiring Members of Parliament seeking elections in their respective constituencies have to undertake rigorous campaigns to mobilize voters in order to build their trust in democratic and the political system.

These candidates' ability to disseminate campaign messages to the electorate to obtain their support, educate them on the electoral process, and ensure their enthusiasm and participation in the election have largely depended on the availability of funds.

Indeed, the role of money in competitive politics and democracy cannot be overemphasized. Campaign funds have been widely regarded as the oil that greases the wheel of candidates’ electoral success, and the lifeblood that sustains the momentum towards intra-party and inter-party electoral competition.

Given the huge financial implications in the electoral process, Parliamentary Candidates or aspiring Members of Parliament need to pay critical attention to or invest in research work to determine their fates before or in the process of undertaking such political adventure to become members of parliament in a constituency.

Research as mentioned is the process of gathering information and data to better understand a particular topic or phenomenon. It involves using various methods and techniques to collect, analyze, and interpret data to draw meaningful conclusions

Furthermore, research is used to answer questions and solve problems, as well as identify trends and opportunities. It is an essential tool for businesses and organizations, as it allows them to make more informed decisions and stay competitive in their respective market

Prospective Parliamentary Candidates must understand that research work cannot be underestimated going into critical elections because its primary goal is to guide action, gather evidence for theories, and contribute to the growth of knowledge in data analysis

The outcome of the research conducted will expose the sponsor to acquire knowledge, help in problem-solving, provide the latest information, build credibility, help in political success, discover and seize opportunities

It also exposes the Parliamentary Candidate to his strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats in the constituency and among its competitors.

Research findings sometimes reveal the challenges and needs of a particular situation in an electoral constituency which will give room for the sponsor or the third party to implement some form of interventions to his or her favor.

Parliamentary candidates or any political activist going into elections must be confident in winning elections based on empirical evidence before committing substantial funds to political campaigning.

Campaign funding is very expensive in developing countries such as Ghana, therefore is imperative to ignore the very fundamentals of research when going into any political elections including parliamentary elections

It is general knowledge that Members of Parliament or Parliamentary Candidates finance their constituency campaigns from personal resources, family, and friends, some have to sell their life-saving property, and incumbents affiliated with the ruling government sometimes enjoy state sponsorship.

A Prospective Parliamentary Candidate who fails to invest a portion of his campaign funds budget into research will be doing a great disservice to his or her political successes

Some political actors see research as a waste of time, and money and an unnecessary tool of engagement either for themselves or on behalf of a third-party candidate, it is a dangerous precedent and must be avoided.

Am firmly of the view that special attention should be given to research works to examine the chances of the individuals either on the ticket of a political party or an independent candidate that wants to embark on any political expedition, notwithstanding due to technological advancement research has become more scientific and has seen an increase in efficiency and ability to minimize human errors

As Ghana prepares to conduct its eighth Presidential and Parliamentary elections, It will be politically suicidal for any parliamentary candidates or aspirants to raise a comprehensive campaign budget without making a reasonable provision for research services, yes the highest bidders at this current dispensation are tipped to win in any given parliamentary primaries or elections, yes conducting and contracting for research services might be expensive but the findings or outcome of the research will minimize the expected parliamentary campaign expenditure and the determination of the outcome desired.