2024 must be taken: It won’t be given 

Elections 2024 appears the easiest election for us to win, from all indications. It looks so because of the citizens’ widely acknowledged crave to say “bye”, good or bad, to a government that’s on record to be the worst our dear nation has ever tasted. The masses practically hope for just the time to come as we all feel Nana Addo and Bawumia are nowhere near the very noise they made of themselves in opposition. In every definition of failure, they fit in, and the nation’s only hope is an election.

It’s good to know that Ghanaians yearn change. What however is terrible to hold is to think this change will be as simple as it is on the face value.

Notwithstanding the crave for it by the electorate, it’s our responsibility to fight hammer and tongues and with all our might. These are why:

In 2008:

The NPP is not known to easily leave power, even when it’s clear the good citizens want them out. We have history to guide us. In 2008, the horn of change had resoundingly been sounded by the voices in the streets and everywhere. The clarity with which Ghanaians craved them out of power was profound and loomed every corner of the nation. We had to fight, fight hard, harder and hardest, until the flag of victory was raised in Tain, the unexpected cynosure in the middle belt.

Not only must we remember the fate of Tain but also the last draw of swords by our old and young men of integrity in the Strong Room, led by the Lion hearts of Dr. Tony Aidoo et al, who would see themselves slain, rather than see any possibility of NPP and Nana Addo stealing the people’s verdict. We had the gallant pack that stood the threats of the hyenas. The youth that chanted freedom on the streets, the weak the could not walk but had the power of their prayer mats, the old and young mothers that sent their invigorating ululations to keep the spirits high in the fights and the united NDC with the help of Ghana’s masses, marched unto victory, leaving the ill-intended NPP gasping for breath.

In 2020:

Our defeat in 2016 was accepted without threats or maneuvering to stay in power at all costs. We humbly accepted and acknowledged it, no matter how painful. Our leader, H. H. John Dramani Mahama exercised the zenith of democratic attribute by conceding and leaving the rest to posterity. We moved. “We mueved.” Little had we known we would bounce back so sooner. Everyone would think it was a fodder for preparation to win power in the next 8. Rather, power was staring from an unexpectedly close range. The wanton thievery, graft, corruption, nepotism, unbelievable taste for looting, hardships, media penalization and criminalization, lies, more lies and greater lies orchestrated by Nana Addo’s led government engulfed our country and Ghanaians unusually felt H. E. Mahama must be brought to be said to “We are sorry!”. That nearly happened.

Alas, Nana Addo had other allies. Adukwei et al were characters we underestimated in a battle where we should have considered them as a dangerous competitor with a molten magma of competing interests than just an ordinary biased referee. Our failure to be proactive failed us. The citizens on their part gave their all but we allowed so much absurdity to happen with impunity and before we woke up to the reality, the Nana-Adukwei agenda had bolted away with what was due us, leaving us fuming. Even with the grand aid handed Nana Addo, blood had to be spilled. Precious lives had to be taken to seal the most tainted and shameless victory. Then, we decided to seek redress in a lion’s den, for being ravaged by a cub. Let the ship of history sail with the rest of it; for it was too too late; and is too far gone. The future, is what is.

In 2024:

We believe we’ll win. Everyone does. I do. You all do. The poor Ghanaian, however prays, even though they believe. Why? History becomes practice, when the urge to learn from it is a priority. That 2020 cannot happen again does not mean NPP will not want it happen. That we got to know the referee’s strategy does not mean the referee has no other strategies. Yet, in all, let the history inform our taste, quest and then, aggression. We cannot be the NDC that allowed NPP and the referee a free field to kiss and tie the knot of fraud. We cannot be the NDC that allowed the lives of our people, beautiful and patriotic Ghanaians to be taken so Nana Addo and NPP would steal power.

What might interest us more, is, we are facing an NPP government that has stolen so much, has hurt so much, has stepped on so many innocent toes, has turned government into a syndicate of criminality, under which Ahmed Suale’s sad murder was okayed; so expect they would stop at nothing to stay on in power to not only continue to perpetrate their heinous maneuvering but also cover their tracks. Such is more dangerous to face than a clean one. It behooves us to gird our loins and raise the shields, swords, and spears so high that not even double the efforts NPP employed in 2020 can stop us from protecting the verdict of the masses and claiming this victory that was not long ago stolen from us. We deserve it, yet, we won’t be given it; it won’t be brought to us; we must take it and preparedly so, knowing the referee and some others are not our friends. For the only friend we know is the Ghanaian the deservedly wants change. It won’t be as easy as it appears.

Suffice to say we were taking a word of advice from Game of Thrones, I would suggest we considered “Winter is coming!”.

Rabiu Alhassan
Member, National Democratic Congress