Many strands of empirical research have proven that even though an incumbent government has some advantages in elections, there are some disadvantages as well that can send a ruling party to opposition.
The ruling NPP government has a lot to worry about. Their supporters want the jobs and contracts they were promised. – and they want them now! Unfortunately, the party has failed in using persuasion as a tool since their followers are already fed up with too many broken promises. And the signs of frustration and disappointment are beginning to show, making the NPP’s electoral prospects in 2024 replete with danger signals.
Besides, the neglect of some constituencies in terms of infrastructure development, especially in the Ashanti Region is getting worrying. A typical example is the abandonment of the Suame Interchange project.
In November 2022, President Akufo-Addo cut sod for the construction of a four-tier interchange at the current Suame Roundabout, with intended overpasses at the Abrepo, Krofrom, Anomangye, Magazine New Road and Abusuakruwa junctions.
Government assured the people of the Ashanti Region that the project was going to start in August last year, but it never happened. Residents of the region therefore raised concerns about delays in the start of work and this compelled the leadership of the ruling party in the region to appeal to government to hasten processes for the commencement of the project, but there has been little show.
Another area of concern is the Afigya Kwabre East Constituency which gave the NPP more than 80,000 votes in the 2020 presidential elections.
The constituents are seething with anger over deplorable roads in the Constituency and they have blamed the doorsteps of the ruling government and their Member of Parliament.
Apart from losing a chunk of presidential votes, the National Patriotic Party is likely to lose more of its parliamentary seats in some of its strongholds in this year’s elections because most of the party’s sympathizers feel deceived and disappointed.
It is unclear exactly what strategy the NPP has in 2024 to counter some of these challenges, but the omens are bad, and most NPP supporters are possibly going to turn against their once-loved party, and it will be a mistake for anyone to underestimate what such disappointed electorate can do in an election year: and I can hear frustrated NPP supporters screaming, “Yen aa, ye Bawu oo por, ye b3 ti wo t3.”
