Bawumia’s 2024 candidature NPP’s only chance to break 8-year cycle - GIJ lecturer

Communications expert and lecturer at the Ghana Institute of Journalism, Dr Etse Sikanku has indicated that fielding Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia in the 2024 elections as the party’s flagbearer gives the party a realistic chance to break the eight terms cycle.

According to him, although in the course of the first four years under the Akufo-Addo’s led administration he (Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia) lost a bit of lustre unlike the period when he was speaking at public lectures, if his team handles him very well, he will give the NDC a good run.

“He may also have huge challenges with cross-over appeal especially with some who maintain that any myth or any last remaining amount of good will or political capital from his Bawunomics or Bawumia lecture series days has been completely dissipated. And he does have to fight off many tags that have taken root.”

He indicated that if the NDC, on the other hand, puts up a glittering and hard to gloss over candidate then the NPP would be going in as the under-dogs but if Bawumia is fielded there will be a realistic chance and it would be nothing but game on.

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From an analytical point of view… He is the sword of damocles that will shred, slice and burn hydra-headed oppositions with a single strike. He will make the North competitive. He now has clout and appeal. He has rich and hard worn experience as VP. You can’t just ignore that. He is likeable. He is genial and he has bent over backwards to appease the Christian community or warm his way into their hearts. At least he has tried to do so.

He is widely popular. And there’s one thing he needs to be immensely proud of about himself. He has become one of the sharpest political communicators comparable to the best in his era. Such a transformation is quite commendable. Add his economic portfolio to it and he immediately becomes such a potent force of political combat.

In politics, people often have to choose between certain strengths and weaknesses but Bawumia seems to be such a rare combination of the key ingredients needed in a political candidate. Of course, his political communication needs a bit of fine-tuning. Of course, there will always be the nagging religious factor. And then there will be baggage from his two terms.

He may also have huge challenges with cross-over appeal especially with some who maintain that any myth or any last remaining amount of good will or political capital from his Bawunomics or Bawumia lecture series days has been completely dissipated. And he does have to fight off many tags that have taken root.

These can and should be addressed masterfully by his team. Take those factors away and we may have an unstoppable tsunami before us. At the very least, he will give the NDC a good run. There will also be the incumbency fatigue playing out and if the NDC puts out a glittering and hard to gloss over candidate then the NPP would be going in as the under-dogs. However, with Bawumia there will be a realistic chance and it would be nothing but game on!