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The recent survey conducted by Africa Centre For Security And Intelligence Studies(ACSIS)has projected that the leadership of the National Democratic Congress(NDC) must consider selecting a running mate in the Ashanti region if indeed the party wants to win political power come 2024.
The survey was done in all the 16 regions and stanch party bigwigs outside the country which covered one-to-one engagements with key stakeholders, including founding
members, Cadres of the Revolution, former party executives (at all levels), current executives (at
all levels), former appointees, including ministers, MMDCEs, CEOs, ambassadors, and women
leaders and activists (within and outside the NDC).
According to the survey, there is a swirl of opposition to the selection of the Running mate from the Central Region and the contention was that since 1992, the presidential ticket has always fielded the Central
Region either as flagbearer or running mate, yet this has not translated into votes. Thus, a
pick from the Central Region will be met with opprobrium.
Again , it was fact checked that, the 2020 ticket, which was premised on
John Mahama and his vice President exiting to allow for a clean slate and a subsequent search for a
new leader towards 2024, presented the party as a high-risk political organisation without
a succession plan and therefore not worth investing time and resources in the pair.
In the opinion of the respondents, such a policy does not make for continuity and stability in the
party’s activities and introduces an element of instability into the party’s very existence since this
will signify that the party is not making any attempt at succession planning.
In the survey, it was also observed that Party sympathisers
who otherwise would support the party financially do not think it is worth the while thus
Some of the respondents even wondered how a party without a long-term succession plan can
have a long-term view for the development of the country when in government.
The survey also touched on the factions in the NDC,it was revealed that the party must necessarily recognise the fact that there are factions within it with
varying, albeit not antagonistic, interests.
However, how these interests are catered for
during the selection process can go a long way towards determining the cohesiveness of
the party during its electioneering activities and eventual success at the general elections.
Morever, within the Party, there are official institutions that have been established under
the provisions of the Party’s Constitution. These institutions include the Council of
Elders, the National Executive Council, and the Functional Executive.
The survey says, those institutions must be consulted in the selection of the Party’s running mate for the success of the NDC in 2024 general elections.
The survey detailed that these
institutions were not adequately consulted during the selection process in 2020 for the running mate slot hence the failure of the party to win in the Central Region.
The outcomes of the survey projected that, majority are not in agreement with the view that the selection of a woman
as Running mate would necessarily make the ticket attractive to female voters.
It argued that,the choice of running mate in 2020 did not bring much to the campaign by way of energising and
gingering the grassroots to work for the victory that the Party wanted in those elections.
ACSIS recommended that running mate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)should come from the the Ashanti Region because the Region
has always defined the electoral fortunes of the NDC and NPP.
Each time the NDC pulls
Votes comparatively in the Ashanti Region by obtaining anything close to 30% or
above of votes in that region, the NDC presidential candidate wins the presidency, and it is was this background that the running must come from the Ashanti Region.
Furthermore, it is against all odds that majority of the members of NDC are advocating that the flabearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC)considers selecting a running mate from the Ashanti Region.
According to the Elders and rank and file of the party, if John Mahama chooses a candidate from the region. It would be easier for the party to increase it’s vote in the region.
They indicated that, the party will have alot to gain if it chooses an Asante as the battleground and induce indigenous people to lead the charge and vote massively for NDC.
In choosing the running mate from the Ashanti Region, majority of NDC members, party sympathisers and Elders are yearning for a candidate from the region ” the statement said
By Lawrence Odoom
Credit:ACSIS
