Bryan Acheampong’s statement doesn’t mean anything

A Political Science lecturer at the University of Ghana, Dr Kwame Asah-Asante has said that the decision to change government or not in the 2024 elections is for Ghanaians to determine.

He says the will of the electorate is what is going to stand, not that of a political party.

To that end, he said, the comment by the Minister of Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong that the NPP would not hand over power to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) does not mean anything.

“Yes, it is to be expected from a party that is desperately looking for its mandate to be renewed. But his statement doesn’t mean anything because it doesn’t lie in his mouth to determine who will vote for them.

“It is their records that will show, yes he will say they will not hand over power, but when the people go to the poll and decide who should inherit the reins of government, then you will see the reality. For now, I take it as an ordinary statement from a party person who is desperately looking for power.

“All political parties, first, their aim so to win power and form the next government so definitely they are in power and they will not want to give power to the next government, so they will make sure they win the election, that is how I understand it. For me, it doesn’t lie in his mouth to make that statement because there are factors that influence voter choices and it is not what he is saying. It is by dint of hard work, first and foremost it is the economy, have they improved the economy that they want the mandate to be renewed? Have they built infrastructure that also determines voter choices? Have they also worked against corruption? These are some of the issues that will come up.”

Bryan Acheampong had assured members of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) that the economy will bounce back.

He said the government is working to secure a deal with the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

Hopefully, he said, by June this year the deal will be closed, a situation that will lead to the resurgence of the economy.

Speaking to members of the NPP in Kwahu after a health walk on Saturday, April 8, the Abetifi Lawmaker said “NDC party will collapse. If the NDC dares to use threats, Violence and foolishness in the 2024 election we will let them know we have the men. We will show them that we have the men. We have the men.

“It will never happen that we the NPP will stand on a platform to hand over power to the NDC. It will never happen! We will make sure NPP remain in government at all cost”.

The former Minister of State in Charge of National Security added “Now with the way things are changing the economy will bounce back again, I am telling you that we are going to come around that curve and we are going to win the 2024 elections hands down.”

But the General Secretary of the NDC Fifi Kwetey said that the comment was treasonable.

He said in a statement that “The NDC condemns this utterly reckless and treasonable comment in no uncertain terms. We note that Bryan Acheampong is the latest of high-ranking officials of the NPP to make such brazen statement that reveals the party’s deep-seated determination to subvert Ghana’s democratic order.

“At an NPP delegates conference in Kumasi in 2021, President Akufo-Addo expressed his determination to “hand over to an NPP Government in 2025″. This eerily reminds everyone of the Nana Addo led desperate attempts to steal the 2008 elections in the strongroom of the electoral commission and other attempts by his desperate party to put dead bodies in water bodies in the Volta region all with a view to subverting the will of the people in that critical election.”

Source: 3news.com