Focus on winning parliamentary seats first – Gyampo to ‘weak’ presidential aspirants

Political Scientist at the University of Ghana, Professor Ransford Gyampo has taken on the numerous presidential aspirants who have filed their nominations to contest in the upcoming presidential election, wondering why they are deliberately wasting their time in presidential elections, which they know that they don't have not the slightest chance of winning.

Professor Ransford Gyampo is of the view that it is trite knowledge that Ghana is a two-party state and that the many presidential aspirants who filed their nomination forms on the ticket of smaller political parties should have focused on winning a minimum of two parliamentary seats instead of engaging in the fruitless venture of running for the presidency.

Last week, the Electoral Commission announced that as many as 17 persons, an overwhelming majority representing smaller, lesser than political parties, had filed to contest in the upcoming presidential election.

Reacting to the announcement, Prof Gyampo concluded that apart from the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), no other political party or independent candidate has a chance to win the presidency.

“17 Aspirants filed for the Presidency when its practically a two-party duopoly."

"Why won’t they focus on winning at least two parliamentary seats each, for starters? Why do they want to go for what they can’t get?” He wondered.