Alexander Afenyo-Markin, the Member of Parliament representing the Effutu Constituency in Ghana’s Central Region, has expressed his views on the political landscape following the recent election cycle. He contends that the incoming National Democratic Congress (NDC) government has fostered a climate of heightened expectations amongst the Ghanaian populace, potentially setting the stage for future challenges. Afenyo-Markin argues that the NDC’s campaign strategy centered on discrediting the outgoing New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, portraying it as ineffectual and bereft of achievements. This narrative, he believes, has instilled unrealistic expectations in the electorate, making it difficult for the NDC to meet these perceived promises and potentially leading to disillusionment in the long run.
Afenyo-Markin highlights specific examples of the NDC’s campaign tactics, accusing them of employing propaganda and misinformation to sway public opinion. He cites the case of the Okaikwei North constituency, where the NPP lost the election, attributing the defeat to what he describes as the “brainwashing” of constituents. According to him, the NDC successfully convinced voters to disregard the NPP’s infrastructural developments and the widely lauded Free Senior High School program, instead focusing on immediate economic concerns, often referred to as “bread-and-butter issues.” This strategic shift, he believes, effectively undermined the NPP’s accomplishments and painted a picture of incompetence and corruption.
The Effutu MP further elaborates on the NDC’s campaign rhetoric, stating that they consistently portrayed the NPP as corrupt and incapable of meeting the needs of the Ghanaian people. This narrative, Afenyo-Markin argues, resonated with a segment of the population struggling with economic hardship, even though he believes it misrepresented the NPP’s overall performance. He suggests that the NDC’s focus on immediate economic concerns, while neglecting to acknowledge the long-term benefits of the NPP’s policies, created a distorted perception of the government’s performance.
Afenyo-Markin expresses concern that this strategy, while potentially effective in the short term, is unsustainable and will ultimately backfire on the NDC. He predicts that the heightened expectations created by the NDC’s campaign promises will be difficult to fulfill, leading to public disappointment and potentially eroding the party’s credibility. He emphasizes that governing involves complex challenges and that simply promising immediate economic relief without addressing underlying structural issues is a recipe for future discontent.
Expanding on his criticism of the NDC’s campaign tactics, Afenyo-Markin reiterates his belief that their reliance on propaganda and what he calls “mischief” will eventually catch up with them. He suggests that while such tactics might yield short-term gains in terms of electoral success, they ultimately undermine public trust in the political process. He posits that a government built on a foundation of misinformation and unrealistic promises is destined to face challenges in maintaining public support once the realities of governance set in.
In summary, Afenyo-Markin’s analysis paints a picture of an NDC government inheriting a landscape of inflated expectations, largely due to what he perceives as their own campaign strategy. He argues that the NDC’s focus on criticizing the NPP, combined with promises of immediate economic relief, has created a scenario where the electorate anticipates rapid and significant changes. He warns that the NDC’s alleged reliance on propaganda and misrepresentation of the NPP’s record may have secured them victory but will ultimately prove detrimental to their ability to govern effectively and maintain public trust. He concludes that the NDC’s approach, while potentially yielding short-term political gains, is ultimately unsustainable and will likely lead to disillusionment among the very electorate they mobilized with their campaign rhetoric.
