Dr. Amoako Baah, a Political Science Lecturer at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), has disclosed that the New Patriotic Party’s chances of winning the 2024 General Elections are being hampered by President Akuffo Addo, who he described as a ‘400 pound gorilla’.
According to the lecturer, the next general elections will be an uphill battle for the ruling party. Dr Amoako Baah noted that the President, since assuming office, has picked his family over the Party and has thereafter, caused a split within the Party making it very difficult for the Party to unite and mould itself ahead of the 2024 elections.
Speaking in an interview the Political Science lecturer revealed that the recent quarrels and misuderstanding within the Party are merely a manifestation of the split President Akuffo Addo has caused.
“Apart from the NPP key executives being new in their position, they will have to deal with a 400 pound gorilla, that is the President, who is used to getting his way. You don’t come in and in short order, tell him what to do; he’s not going to agree. And you can see, the writing is on the wall already.
“What has happened today with Eugene seemingly fighting with the President, is an indication of things to come. The party is divided, they’re fighting among themselves. The President has picked his family over the Party, it’s unfortunate and I don’t know how they’re going to turn it around.”
Dr Amoako Baah
Dr Amokoa Baah again stated that, “That example right there will make a bad omen, it is an uphill battle. Not only are you going to try to organize the party, unite the party, you have to deal with the President too; a President who is outgoing and seems not to care about what happens to the party. That is a very difficult thing to overcome.”
Comparing Asiedu Nketia And Stephen Ntim
Comparing the National Chairmen of the two major parties, Dr. Amoako Baah disclosed that apart from Asiedu Nketia’s great experience leading the party from the General Secretary’s position, the President’s refusal to work with Stephen Ntim will serve a disfavour to the Party.
“Ntim just came in, it’s almost as if this time he’s gone long enough so let him go. The last election, the President said he didn’t want him, he couldn’t work with him and therefore they didn’t vote for him. Which means in NPP, money trumps loyalty, that’s it.
“Look at NPP, it’s almost like the President has captured the party. That is the short end of it. He’s captured the party; he gets to do what he wants. And so when there’s a difficulty between party members, MPs at that, it is the MPs that hold the party together, not the President. They pay the dues. How many Presidents have we had? The Presidents don’t win all the time and yet it is the President who has the upper hand in this case.”
Dr Amoako Baah
Meanwhile, Dr. Alidu Seidu, The Head of the Political Science Department at the University of Ghana, also disclosed that NDC’s Johnson Asiedu Nketia, is a more intimidating force to reckon with, in comparison to the New Patriotic Party’s Stephen Ntim.
According to him, Asiedu Nketia through the diverse roles he has played for the NDC and within the Party has equipped himself with some very necessary skills and experiences which will serve him exceedingly well as National Chairman of the NDC.
Dr. Seidu noted that the cumulative experiences gained by Asiedu Nketia puts him a bit higher than Stephen Ntim when compared. He emphasized that Stephen Ntim’s role in the NPP prior to his national chairmanship position was not as active as Asiedu Nketia’s.
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