By Neil Owusu
The ballot places for our general election on the 7th of December are now known to all, and the 13 candidates hoping to succeed and continue the great development of H.E. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo can now continue their campaigns according to their ballot positions.
Though the position on the ballot does not guarantee victory, it has a psychological and strategic advantage. With the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Bawumia, placing number one on the ballot, it makes him more prominent and visible to voters, creates a sense of leadership, and will also have an influence on the voter’s decision-making, which will be in his favor and also ensure ease of campaigning for the NPP’s parliamentary candidates.
His main contender, former president Mahama, and the opposition party’s flagbearer, the NDC, placed eighth. This will bring confusion that will ensue due to the disparity between the different ballot positioning of the NDC parliamentary candidates and their flagbearers. Their parliamentary candidates will find it difficult to propagate both their positioning and that of their flagbearer, which will cause chaos and consequently lead to the defeat of former president Mahama.
Former President Mahama’s selection of the number 8 also shows that God’s plan for Dr. Bawumia to be the president has been sealed. H.E. Nana Addo made Mahama Ghana’s only living one-term president, and his successor, Dr. Bawumia, will break the 8-year circle of both political parties running elections since the fourth republic with the same name on the opposition’s ticket, subsequently sending former president Mahama to a political retirement.
Dr. Bawumia’s dynamism is an inspiration to this generation and the next. Under his guidance, Ghana has witnessed a significant improvement in the implementation of digitalization, financial inclusion, and infrastructural advancement with the implementation of the DRIP, which is his brainchild.
Dr. Bawumia is the best candidate on the ballot to move Ghana to the next chapter; he is number ONE.