FORMER Ghanaian President John Mahama will be under a lot of pressure to meet the expectations of voters following his landslide victory in Saturday’s election.
He returned to office after eight years in opposition, running what political analyst Nansata Yakubu described as “masterful” campaigning.
He defeated Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia with 56.6% of the votes to 41.6% to increase the margin of victory for a candidate in 24 years.
But the voter turnout was lower than in the 2020 elections, especially in some heartlands of Bwaumia’s New Patriotic Party (NPP), suggesting that some people there – who are disappointed with his performance in government – are staying at home.
As Mahama’s supporters celebrated his victory, Belinda Amuzu – a teacher in the northern town of Tamale, Mahama’s stronghold – summed up their hopes.
“I expect the new government to change the economy, so that the difficulties will decrease. They should also prosecute corrupt officials so that it will be a lesson for others,” he told the BBC.
“Hardship” has become a household word in Ghana since the economy hit rock bottom in 2022, creating a cost-of-living crisis that destroyed Bawumia’s reputation as a “boring kid” – and led to his hands-down defeat. of Mahama.
Ghanaian economist Prof. Godfred Bokpin told the BBC that there are big challenges facing the next government.
“What Ghana needs right now is credible leadership, a weak government and effective delivery of public services. Without that, there will be no future,” he said.
Mahama promised to reduce the size of the cabinet from over 80 to 60, but Prof Bokpin said it should be much smaller while political analyst Dr Kwame Asah-Asante stressed the need for appointments to be based on merit rather than loyalty.
Mahama will be joined by former Education Minister Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who will become Ghana’s first female vice president when the new government takes office next month.
Dr Yakubu said his appointment was not a matter of “signs” and he was not someone who could be “deceived”.
“We have a wonderful first female vice president in Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang,” he told the BBC Focus on Africa podcast.
Prof Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang helped John Mahama win a landslide victory [Getty Images]
Mahama served his first four-year term as president after winning in 2012, but lost re-election in 2016 as Nana Akufo-Addo took over with Bawumia as his running mate.
Dr Yakubu said Mahama ran for the 2016 election with his history of building roads, schools and hospitals but the voters rejected him, as their slogan was: “We don’t eat infrastructure.”
But, he said, during the Covid pandemic, voters appreciate the infrastructure his government has built, especially hospitals.
This – and the fact that the economy is in deep trouble under the current government, forcing him to seek a $3bn (£2.4bn) bailout from the International Monetary Fund (IMF) – led to Mahama’s re-election, Dr Yakubu added.
He told the BBC that Mahama is now expected to fulfill his campaign promise to create jobs to reduce the unemployment rate by about 15%, and ease the cost of living crisis by spending some tax – or what Ghanaians call it. “nuisance taxes”.
Mahama promised to make Ghana a “24-hour economy” through the creation of night jobs in both the public and private sectors. He said he would give businessmen tax money to stay open at night and reduce the price of electricity for them.
But his critics are skeptical, pointing out that Ghana went through a severe power crisis during his first term and the power cuts were so bad that Mahama joked at the time that he was known as Mr Dumsor – “dum” meaning “off” and “sor” meaning “on” ” in the local Twi language.
He has pledged to end several taxes – including the much-criticized electricity tax on mobile transactions and on the carbon emissions produced by petrol or diesel vehicles.
Professor Bokpin said he doubts that the Mahama administration will be able to fulfill their promises.
“They have not done a cost benefit study. There is no budget space to translate those promises into reality,” he said.
But Mahama hopes to prove his critics wrong, saying he intends to renegotiate the terms of the IMF loan to free up “social media” in a country where 7.3 million people live in poverty.
In an interview before the election, Mahama told the BBC that the IMF wanted “some balance” in government finances.
“If you can reduce costs, and you can increase revenue and increase tax-free income, you will be able to create a balance,” he said.
Ghanaians hope that food prices will come down under the new government [Reuters]
Dr Asah-Asante said Mahama’s experience as a former president will help him navigate Ghana’s turbulent waters.
“Yes, he may face difficulties, but he has what it takes to fix things,” the analyst added.
Apart from the economy, corruption is one of the biggest problems facing Ghana but not everyone is convinced that Mahama will be able to deal with this scourge.
Mahama’s previous position in government – as vice president and president – was plagued by allegations of corruption, although he has always denied it.
In 2020, a UK court found that aviation giant Airbus used bribes to secure contracts with Ghana for military aircraft between 2009 and 2015.
An investigation then began in Ghana, but the Office of the Special Prosecutor, in a decision announced a few months before the election, concluded that there was no evidence that Mahama was involved in any acts of corruption himself.
“Our best days are not behind us; our best days are ahead of us. Always forward – never back””, Source: John Mahama, Source description: The incoming president of Ghana, Photo: John Mahama, in a white T-shirt, speaks from the podium in Tamale, Ghana, 27 July 2024
The outgoing government has also been dogged by allegations of corruption, including the purchase of ambulance spare parts at a cost of $34.9m and the controversial national cathedral project where $58m has been spent with no progress on construction.
Mahama has promised that his government will deal with corruption and ensure that officials are prosecuted for wrongdoing.
“We are thinking about special courts,” he told the BBC.
Dr Asah-Asante said Mahama should demand financial accountability from the outgoing government during the handover period so that “whatever is wrong, he can fix” as soon as his government takes office next month.
The analyst added that Mahama, who will be inaugurated next month when President Akufo-Addo leaves office after two terms in office, has no choice but to fulfill the expectations of the people of Ghana – otherwise they will punish his government the way they have punished them. the NPP”.
Mahama briefly acknowledged this in his victory speech, saying: “Ghanaians have high expectations, and we cannot disappoint them.”
“Our best days are not behind us; our best days are ahead of us. Always forward – never back.”
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