Social activist and NDC sympathizer, Shamima Muslim, has stated that the Afrobarometer Report’s findings on Ghana’s economic and democratic situation serve as a warning and a call to action, highlighting potential implications for the upcoming 2024 election.

Shamima Muslim pointed out that while democracy remains the most popular form of governance, its quality is deteriorating.

She emphasized that governments cannot use democracy as an excuse to act irresponsibly, highlighting the need for accountability and responsible leadership.

“This report shows that actions matter, 87 percent believe the country is going in the wrong direction. Sadly under the leadership of President Akufo Addo previously described as a lover of democracy and a doyen of freedom of expression”.
“The report has revealed that the Nana-Bawumia Government has shown heavy-handedness towards the media. A truly sad state of affairs”.
Shamima Muslim

She expressed her hope that the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and its leader, John Dramani Mahama, will give due consideration to the report’s findings and take them seriously, recognizing their significance in shaping the country’s future.

She urged the NDC to ensure that the next NDC government takes bold and decisive steps to revitalize Ghana’s democracy and restore the integrity of its institutions, effectively addressing the current decline and setting a new trajectory for the country’s future.

Meanwhile, NDC stalwart and MP for Bulsa South, Hon. Clement Apaak, also cautioned that the NDC must guard against complacency in the wake of the slew of polls by local and international entities predicting victory for John Dramani Mahama and the NDC.

“We must stay focused and work towards protecting the votes of Ghanaians in light of the composition and posture of the electoral commission. We must be in readiness to give effect to “do or die” should any group, including members of so-called disbanded vigilante groups, adorned in military and police uniforms, attempt what they did in the 2020 elections”.
Hon. Clement Apaak

NPP Faces Uphill Battle To ‘Break the Eight’

Furthermore, Mussa Dankwah, Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, observed that the Afrobarometer report presents a bleak outlook for the NPP, which is striving to achieve a historic third term in office, emphasizing the challenges the ruling party faces in its bid to ‘break the eight’.

He pointed out that the Afrobarometer report has the potential to have a more severe impact on the elections than polls, yet it is not facing the same level of criticism and scrutiny that Global InfoAnalytics’ polls receive, suggesting a double standard in how these sources are perceived and treated.

“Our politicians are used to receiving data that has been glossed over to make it sound like it is not that bad. I don’t, and that is the problem people have. December is not far away”
“Those who were questioning why do we start polling so early when the parties have not completed their primaries, I hope you now understand the value of trend analysis. We know what we have been doing all this while”.
Mussa Dankwah

Dankwah indicated that 31 months of average polling data from Global InfoAnalytics (January 2022 to July 2024) put John Dramani Mahama above 51.1%, as recorded in the July 2024 poll, and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia below the 38.2% recorded in the same period.

He noted that the data shows that in January 2022, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was at 42% while JDM was at 48%, but since the passage of the E-levy, Dr. Bawumia has not crossed 39% in the polls.

This situation, Dankwah detailed, was made worse by Alan Kyerematen’s entrance into the presidential race and later by Nana Kwame Bediako’s entry.

When comparing the two datasets, Dankwah observed a significant surge in the percentage of Ghanaians who believe their living conditions have deteriorated.

He indicated that while the Afrobarometer reported a staggering 70% holding this view, the July 2024 poll by Global InfoAnalytics put the figure at 47%.

“Things are pretty bad according to Afrobarometer. Nearly 90% of Ghanaians say Ghana is headed in the wrong direction (Afrobarometer report, July 2024). It was 63% in the Global InfoAnalytics July 2024 poll”.
Mussa Dankwah