A member of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) Communication Team, Lawuratu Musah-Saaka, has dismissed the notion that Donald Trump’s return to the White House in the United States would automatically mean a win for the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, in the upcoming election.
Speaking on Citi TV on Wednesday, November 6, 2024, she emphasised that the political ideologies of the NPP and NDC differ significantly and that the dynamics of U.S. politics should not be compared to those in Ghana.
“By virtue of our ideologies, I don’t think anybody should be deceived. Just because President Trump has staged a comeback doesn’t mean it’s going to be the same in Ghana," she stated.
“With the NPP, we are conservatives, and the elephant is the winning symbol. I have come to believe that the ordinary voter trusts the conservatives with the economy, and you can see that from what happened with APC having a third term with President Tinubu,” she added.
She underscored that effective messaging is the backbone of any campaign's success, remarking, “Fundamentally, it is the messages you put across. I was thinking that even though we would have all been excited if a Black woman was leading one of the most powerful countries in the world, you also realise that they are not ready for some of these things.”
Lawuratu further urged female politicians across the globe to persist in their efforts to rise to leadership roles.
“There is a lot of work that female politicians across the globe need to put in. I mean, we have had a few first females across smaller countries, not-so-well-known countries — even in Africa: Liberia, Tanzania. It would have been fantastic to have a woman, a Black woman, lead that superpower. Unfortunately, it is what you tell the people and your track record that determines if they trust you or not,” she noted.
Reflecting on the Ghanaian political landscape, she noted that the NDC spends more time discussing Bawumia than their policies.
“They are the ones who are after Dr. Bawumia and were saying how a Muslim cannot be Flagbearer in the NPP, how Northerners are used in the NPP—all those petty, petty things,” she said.
She pointed out Dr. Bawumia’s widespread support across the country, especially in regions like the North and Volta, which have historically been NDC strongholds.
“They should go to all the regions that have been voting for the NDC - the North and Volta. They have voted for the NDC for 32 years, and they are seeing how transformation is coming to them. If they vote for the right candidate, you should see the kind of reception Dr. Bawumia receives when he goes to any region,” she added.
JKB/OGB
Watch the latest episode of Campaign trail on GhanaWeb below: