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Former Central Regional Chairman of the largest opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), Bernard Allotey Jacobs has rubbished the recent Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) report that has predicted that the National Democratic Congress is likely to win both the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana in the 2024 polls.

According to him the same EIU predicted the NDC would win the 2004 elections but lost woefully.

"EIU, we started hearing of them in 2002 when they predicted NDC will come to power, we lost woefully, President Kufuor won again . . . they take some of this things out of some noise making and some feelings of the people . . . " he told Nana Yaw Kesseh during a panel discussion on Peace FM's 'kokrokoo' programme.  

Bawumia Factor

He said he is of the belief that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia will be the best candidate to lead the ruling NPP and the country from 2025. 

"I have my own personal views that the next best candidate, the next best President for this country is Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, if Ghana really wants to move forward," he said, adding that, "how can you put an old wine in a new wine skin". 

He said in terms of difficulties we need a thinking brain that can manage and make sure that we are out of the woods and that is Bawumia.



Background

The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU) in its latest report released on Friday, April 28, 2023, has predicted that the National Democratic Congress is likely to win both the presidential and parliamentary elections in Ghana in the 2024 polls.

The report aligned poor governance, economic hardship, and debt restructuring as the prediction's main factors.

EIU noted that irrespective of who retains power, it expects Ghana’s policy to continue to focus on ensuring macroeconomic stability.

“Our baseline forecast is that economic hardships, the fallout from debt restructuring, and poor governance will create an anti-incumbency wave and push the electorate to seek change. The NDC, therefore, stands a strong chance of winning the 2024 presidential poll and securing a legislative majority.”

It also noted that the new government will face similar economic challenges its predecessor encountered.

The EIU report, however, admonishes the NDC to select a new candidate as its flagbearer other than John Mahama to further improve its chances of winning the next polls. 

The report said NDC could also choose to revitalise its prospects with a fresh candidate, such as Kwabena Duffuor, a former finance minister. Dr Duffuor is John Mahama's closest contender in the contest for the NDC's 2024 presidential candidate, although top analysts tip Mahama to win the party's primaries on May 13, 2023, hands down.