Forgiveness must start from within NPP. . .
Now that Election 2016 has come and gone and its outcome known to all, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo will be sworn in on January 7, 2017, as the fifth President of the Fourth Republic.
Advertisement
Ghana’s next government under the leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo must be given the space to focus on solving the many problems facing the country.
This is necessary because every new dawn or day comes with its own unique challenges; challenges of meeting the high expectations of the citizenry emanating from the juicy campaign promises of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), as well as sustaining the peace and stability of the country.
Thanksgiving service
Fortunately, at a national thanksgiving service in Accra last Sunday, Nana Akufo-Addo urged Ghanaians to chart a new path of forgiving one another of all wrongs.
This is a fantastic admonishment from a President-elect who means well for the citizenry. However, as charity, it is said, begins at home, my expectation of the President-elect is to lead the process of reconciling the leadership of the NPP.
The party’s elected National Chairman, General Secretary and Second National Vice Chairman are all in pain and working outside the periphery to serve a party they so much loved and toiled for.
This is the time, therefore, for the NPP, under President Akufo-Addo, to pursue party cohesion, and forgive one another for the progress of the party and the nation.
The NPP will need all hands on deck within its fraternity to effectively and efficiently galvanise all Ghanaians to prosecute the agenda for creating prosperity and equal opportunities for all Ghanaians as promised in their “Change; An Agenda for jobs” manifesto.
Akufo-Addo’s legacy
During the 2016 campaigns, some political opponents doubted the ability of Nana Akufo-Addo to unite the nation around development. He was described as divisive and vilified on all fronts but now that he has achieved his long-time ambition of becoming President of Ghana, he must now be concerned about what legacy he will leave behind after his two terms in office if he so desires.
The wind of favour is visibly on his side, but it is up to him as leader of the nation to take advantage of this goodwill to mobilise and transform the economy of Ghana. He cannot do otherwise as the world watches him lead Ghanaians to the promised land.
Losing parties
Today, the NPP, under the leadership of Nana Akufo-Addo, has won a resounding and historic victory and they are celebrating. But as in all elections, where there are winners and losers, the NPP cannot forget the power of the electorate and how they can change their mind and voting pattern at anytime.
Naturally, while Nana Akufo-Addo will be joyous for winning the 2016 polls emphatically, other candidates, including President John Dramani Mahama, who also contested the presidential race, will feel crestfallen after their defeat.
Equally, the NDC and all other parties which failed to do well at the 2016 polls have another opportunity to work hard and come back stronger next time to contest and win the next election which is around the corner (in 2020).
Post-election violence
Notwithstanding the pain of defeat, President Mahama has done the gracious and noble thing by conceding defeat to the President-elect and thanked Ghanaians for the opportunity given him to serve the nation. Equally, the President-elect has been humble and magnanimous in victory and lauded the good services of the exiting President.
However, while lauding the two leaders for their show of political maturity, the euphoria on the side of the winning party, the NPP, which degenerated into post-election violence cannot be glossed over.
Some members of the NPP have explained it is payback time having experienced similar treatment in 2008 when the National Democratic Congress (NDC) won that election.
Clearly, such a stance does not speak well of the country’s democratic credentials.
Against the backdrop that Ghana has organised seven successful elections from 1992 to 2016, this wave of post-election violence cannot be justified in any way and will remain a blot on the country’s democratic journey.
For now, we owe it to ourselves and the global community to consistently improve on our democratic credentials to reap the dividends of good governance and rule of law.
Ghanaians, particularly political actors, must realise and appreciate the fact that in any democratic election there is bound to be victors and losers.
The rank and file of both the NPP and the NDC must quickly learn that any democratic election delivers victory and defeat.
In view of this hard reality of the game, political actors need to grow democrats and patriots in their body politic to make the country’s democracy thrive and function without acrimony and violence.
As President Mahama pointed out in his concessionary speech, the true winners of the 2016 elections are Ghanaians. In line with this, he also called on Ghanaians to rally behind the President-elect to be able to steer the affairs of the nation successfully.
Every election is a hard-fought battle as it gives the people the opportunity to have a say as to who will lead them to shape the destiny of the country, but once it is over, all hands need to be on deck for good governance to take place.
We must, therefore, remain united in spite of the diverse beliefs, religious and political affiliations to ensure the wellbeing of the country.
Happy Christmas to all the winning and losing political actors, as well as the populace.