The Member of Parliament for Odododiodio constituency, Nii Lante Vanderpuye has said the Economist Intelligence Unit’s (EIU) prediction of victory for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2020 polls is a wake-up call for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to work harder.
The EIU in its country report on Ghana released on May 13, 2019, said it will be difficult for the opposition NDC under former President John Dramani Mahama, to portray itself as the better custodian of Ghana’s economy, especially as the country’s growth outlook currently looks fairly strong.
While acknowledging the importance of the EIU report on Citi TV‘s Breakfast Daily show, Mr. Vanderpuye said the party is not really perturbed about its findings.
He said the party will just work harder to secure victory in the 2020 polls.
“I have done an analysis of the EIU report over the period and I can say with all certianty that it is good, if you take a look at what has to be said, and then you work on it. As an academician, I will not dismiss any research because research are almost like a SWOT analysis of you. It gives you an opportunity to look at your strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats.”
“If EIU has come out with a report that NDC is going to win 2020 elections, it would have made me much more complacent and relaxed in my approach but in opposition, for me looking for governance, looking for an opportunity to be in power and the report says you have to do more to be able to topple the government. It gives me the impetus to work harder to achieve my objective and that is exactly what we are going to do. We do not care what the EIU report says as far as winning election is concerned. We care about working hard in order to win.”
He further indicated that if the NDC “corrects its mistakes” committed in 2016, it “will be so easy” for NPP to be out of power by 2020.
Election watch
Specifically, on elections, the EIU said “Nana Akufo-Addo, the president, and his NPP will see the country’s economic situation generally improve during the remainder of their terms of office. In the presidential election, it says Akufo-Addo will face a challenge from John Mahama— Ghana’s president from 2012 to early 2017, who was elected leader of the opposition NDC in February 2019.”
It said “the 2016 legislative election was won by the NPP; and the campaign was dominated by the faltering economy, which many Ghanaians still associate with Mr Mahama.”
Accordingly, “The Economist Intelligence Unit believes that it will be difficult for the NDC under Mr Mahama to portray itself as the better custodian of Ghana’s economy, especially as the country’s growth outlook is fairly strong.”
The report also said they “expect Mr. Akufo-Addo and the NPP to secure re-election in 2020.”
The report also noted that, “if the NDC can present a coherent opposition and hold the NPP to account on unfulfilled campaign promises particularly on job creation and industrialisation, where progress has been generally slow and success patchy—the election could be closely contested.”
