John Dramani Mahama, a former president and National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, claims that the party’s 2024 manifesto announcement on Saturday represents the first step toward freeing the nation from issues that have kept it back for far too long.
In a short promotional film that was made public one day prior to the manifesto’s introduction at the University of Education, Winneba, Central Region, he adds that it also represents “the first step towards resetting our dear nation, Ghana.”
The University of Education, Winneba, in the Central Region is the venue for the manifesto launch, which has as its theme “Change to Reset Ghana.”
“Tomorrow we take the first step towards resetting our dear nation Ghana,” stated Mahama in his address. It’s time for us to work together to create the Ghana that we all desire, despite the obstacles that have kept us back for far too long. Come along with me as I reveal a vision for the future that would bring prosperity, jobs, and justice to every corner of our dear country, Ghana, from Winneba in the Central Region. We start the road together tomorrow.
Also read: Ofosu Ampofo: The NDC’s manifesto is better than the NPP’s because it is solution-focused.
Leading the ceremony will be the flagbearer, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang, who is also the running partner for him. Party heavyweights and the general public are anticipated to pack the Jophus Anamuah-Mensah Auditorium, the venue.
Additionally, a lot of attention is anticipated since the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP), which released its own manifesto a week earlier, is expected to criticize it.
Launch of the NDC Manifesto
Since the return to multiparty democracy in 1992, the NDC has a strong track record of releasing manifestos. Established in 1992 for the presidential and parliamentary elections, the party was first introduced by the late former president Jerry John Rawlings.
The platform prioritized supporting economic changes, establishing democratic governance, and bringing stability after ten years of military dictatorship.
The NDC placed a strong emphasis on infrastructure development and economic stabilization in its 1996 manifesto. The incumbent president at the time, Rawlings, ran on a platform of his administration’s accomplishments to win reelection.
The 2000 manifesto, introduced by vice president John Atta Mills at the time, placed a strong emphasis on eradicating poverty and advancing education while highlighting the necessity for stability in government. But the NDC’s first electoral loss to the NPP in 2000 signaled the party’s shift to the opposition.
The NDC, led by John Atta Mills, came back to power in 2008, and as part of its A Better Ghana agenda, the party committed to tackling the socioeconomic problems the nation was facing, especially those pertaining to employment, health, and education.
Following Mills’ untimely death in 2012, John Mahama assumed the presidency. The NDC’s 2012 platform pledged transformative growth in a range of sectors while emphasizing the consolidation of the administration’s accomplishments.
Under Mahama’s direction, the 2016 manifesto prioritized social interventions, governance, and infrastructure. But the NPP prevailed against the NDC in the 2016 elections.
The People’s Manifesto, the NDC’s manifesto ahead of the 2020 elections, sought to represent the needs and ambitions of Ghanaians. But the party did not win the election.
The 2024 Declaration
Launching the 2024 manifesto is regarded as a crucial stage in the NDC’s bid to regain power.
John Mahama’s emphasis on “resetting Ghana”—putting justice, jobs, and prosperity at the center—makes the NDC seem like the party most suited to steer Ghana into a new phase of growth.