Eight-year political cycle is a disservice, NPP will break it – Buaben Asamoa

Director Communications for the governing New Patriotic Party, NPP, Yaw Buaben Asamoa, has stated that his party is on course to ‘Break The Eight’ – reference to winning a third consecutive term in office under the 1992 Constitution.

The former Adentan Member of Parliament cited reasons such as the maturity of the Ghanaian voter population as well as the NPP’s better economic management record.

His views were shared on the Face to Face programme that aired on Accra-based Citi TV earlier this week.

“We will break the 8. I sense a growing maturity among the Ghanaian voter population. We are heading into our 9th election, records show that anytime the NPP comes to power we bring forward innovative programs. The NDC is unable to sustain these when they take over,” he stated.

”It is time we put on hold the back and forth with the 8-year cycle. It has done us a great disservice, and it is not making politics sustainable,” Buaben Asamoa added.

He explained further that the NPP were the nation builders of the current dispensation whereas the NDC always eroded the gains that they (NPP) made while in office.

“We believe we have done far better than the NDC in spite of the challenges, and that the NDC is not the solution. We believe strongly that we are better positioned to handle the current modern challenges of public finances and economics.

“If you sit to reflect on what is going on in the world, you will know that the old ideological ways of dealing with economics have been dumped,” he stressed.

Race to ‘Break The 8’

The NPP has since 2021 started a campaign dubbed ‘Break The Eight’ as it hopes to retain political power beyond 2024 when the current tenure of President Nana Add Dankwa Akufo-Addo elapses.

Under the Fourth Republican Constitution, power has alternated between the NDC and NPP after every eight-year period i.e. two terms.

Jerry Rawlings’ NDC government run from 1993 – 2001 when he handed over to the John Kufuor’s government that run between 2001 – 2009.

In came the John Mills/John Mahama NDC administration that served from 2009 – 2017 after which Akufo-Addo came in on January 2017 and is expected to exit in 2025.

The NPP is hoping to win the 2024 election which means they will produce the next president and history will be made as an incumbent hand over to a successor from his own party.