Breaking The 8 Year Cycle; Issues To Consider During The Presidential Primaries.

Before I proceed with my discussions, I wish to suggest a slogan for breaking the 8-year cycle.

"BREAK THE 8! 

 FOR CONTINUITY

A critical barometer in measuring the ability of the party to retain power and break the 8-year cycle is how the Presidential Primary which will be held barely a year before the General Elections in 2024 will be conducted.

We need to be guided by the matters, incidents, and accidents of the 2007 Presidential Primary. This must provide a useful lesson for all Presidential hopefuls. Their campaign messages must be in the supreme interest of the party. When the interest of the party is ignored, we will lose power to our opponent who will come to reverse the gains made by this government.

In joining the Presidential Primary race, it does not matter whether the candidate is a newcomer or not, and for that matter that candidate must wait even if he has good plans, programs, and vision for the party. This is to say that you can have a child and make him a chief because of some overarching qualities in him. You cannot throw him away because he is a child. You will lose an important asset for your growth and development.

We must look at the level of support the candidate has been giving to the party. The support cannot be given only during primaries. This is not enough.

The candidate must have a vision and plans for the party and the country. This vision must have the potential to promote the growth of the party and the country as a whole. The vision and plans will be our campaign message to win votes, and secure and sustain power. 

The candidate must demonstrate the ability to promote unity at all levels. The party must look at the posturing of the candidate and see whether he can lead with a sense of oneness and togetherness after the primaries and galvanize all support for victory. 

Ghanaian voters need somebody to vote for. The candidate must appeal to them for their support and votes. This is a very critical ingredient in assessing the qualities of the candidate. The ability of the candidate to win votes, attract floating voters, and get some substantial votes from the stronghold of the opponent will make our win easy.

Demonstration of understanding of party issues must be one of the key concerns of the delegates. The candidate must be on top of party issues as they arise and find the means necessary to address them. He must be seen to possess the ability to put a system in place to prompt him for immediate action and resolution.

The candidate must be a listener and be proactive.

The candidate must show how he will sustain and continue the programs of the government.

As a Presidential hopeful his relationship with the party must be taken into account by our delegates. The candidate must have a good working relationship with the party hierarchy at all levels. He must be appealing to all levels; polling stations, regional, national, elders of the party, the government, and other critical groups of the party.

Above all, the candidate must show the will to mobilize the party, especially the grassroots to break the 8-year cycle for the party to retain power. This is where the mobilization skills of the candidate will be put to the litmus test. Mobilization of the grassroots is key to winning power. 

 The grassroots must be resourced to be able to deliver. This is a critical skill that the candidate must possess.

For us to break the 8, it will be important to adopt these three watchwords to goad us into a serious campaign activity for victory. These watchwords must be an integral part of our internal political discourse; SECURE, SUSTAIN and SUCCEED (3S).

Secure is to bring the votes

Sustain is to win power again

Succeed is the NPP Presidential Candidate wins and succeeds President Akufo Addo.

In summary, the understanding of the 3S is;

1. Which candidate can help the party secure votes?

2. Which candidate can help the party sustain power?

3. Which candidate can take over from President Akufo Addo?

In conclusion, our resolve to break the 8-year cycle with the slogan and the application of the 3S will be a veritable guide to infuse into us a sense of hard work that will propel us to power in 2024.

'BREAK THE 8;

FOR CONTINUITY' !!

'FOR CONTINUITY;

BREAK THE 8' !!

There is no doubt about this. We are breaking the cycle.