Ghana decides in crunch elections

Ghanaians go to the polls in an election that is billed to be a crunch battle. The days to the elections have been characterized by allegations and counter allegations by the various contestants and the EC has face both criticism and commendation for its actions.
But while the EC’s role in the elections had not raised any serious concern until yesterday when the Candidate for the NDC, John Mahama came out with some very damning allegations against the EC that the Commission was scheming to rig the elections for the NPP based on allegations of exposure of verification stamps.
The EC has been quiet on the allegations and tensions are getting high particularly with the NDC on edge with suspicions that the Commission was in bed with the NPP to rig the elections.
But if the assurances given by the EC Chairperson, Jean Mensa, are anything to go by, then the Commission is primed to conduct a transparent and credible elections and any deliberate attempts to corrupt the processes to favour a party will not be an institutional orchestration but perhaps the work of a few corrupt individuals within the Commission.
The NPP faces a test of its rule for the past four years and to some extent its cumulative 8-year reign. Economic conditions have been dire and while the party has been quick to lay the blame on global events such as the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Russia-Ukraine war, there are obvious concerns about serious cases of economic mismanagement that has riddles the country with debt.
But the party has still made its case for re-election riding on the wave of the Free SHS and what it describes as phenomenal infrastructural projects. The sentiments on the ground have not ben promising for the NPP, primarily, because of the economic challenges the country has faced. The NPP is also reeling from cases of corruption that seem to blight its record.
Yet, the NPP still believes its record, amidst, all the crisis it says it has faced, is stronger than that of the NDC. The candidate of the NPP, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was clear in claims that the NPP economic record was superior to that of the NDC under John Mahama. That notwithstanding, there seems to be a general feeling that economic conditions have been difficult.
While John Mahama was not the darling of Ghanaians eight years ago, it is obvious that his popularity has soared significantly in the past eight years, and many have hailed his rule as more beneficial and progressive than the NPP administration in the past eight years.
This is an election that obviously places many intriguing tests; the tests of the policies, polls, of the prophecies – the test of the 3Ps and the expectations of Ghanaians that this will be a credible, peaceful and transparent process that will usher the country into a new era of democratic rule.