NPP DRAWS LESSONS FROM TRUMP VICTORY

Posted on: www.dailyguideghana.com

By William Yaw Owusu

Thursday, November 10, 2016

The New Patriotic Party (NPP) says it is drawing useful lessons from the electoral victory of Donald John Trump, president-elect of the United States of America.

After months of acrimonious campaign, business mogul Mr. Trump of the Republican Party against all odds, defeated former Secretary of State Hilary Rodham Clinton of the Democrats in a close contest to take over from President Barrack Obama from next year.

The NPP said in a statement signed by its Communication Director, Nana Akomea, that the success chalked by Mr. Trump “holds important lessons for Ghana."

“The first major lesson is that the American people have voted for change. This shows us that no incumbent government is entitled to an automatic retention in power. That retention in office is dependent on how best a government has fulfilled the expectations of the people. The second main lesson is that it is so easy for an incumbent government to lose touch with the real concerns of the electorate.”

According to Nana Akomea, Mr. Trump “made many comments that many found disagreeable and regrettable,” adding, “At some points, he did not enjoy the support of key members of his party, including ex-presidents, the Senate majority leader etc. who all spoke out against him.”

The statement underscored, “But obviously he also gave voice to issues that really mattered to the majority of the American people, including poverty, deprivation, jobs, security, etc. It is very clear that President Mahama and the NDC government have lost touch with the real needs and concerns of Ghanaians. President Mahama has lamented that his message and achievements are being blocked by some media people from getting to Ghanaians.

“The president is wrong. His message is not being blocked. The truth is that his message is simply not resonating with the real needs of Ghanaians, as was forcefully said to him by the Awoamefia of Anlo, Togbe Sri.”

Nana Akomea said NDC General Secretary, Johnson Asiedu Nketia, had likened the NPP and their flag bearer, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, to Mr. Trump adding, “The lesson for Mr. Asiedu Nketia is that perhaps the NPP and our flag bearer are the party actually articulating the real needs and concerns of Ghanaians, the concerns about jobs, poverty, corruption,  unbearably high cost of living,  high inflation, collapsing health service, collapsing agriculture, collapsing industrial sector etc.”

He claimed, “The NPP believes that as has happened in America, change is indeed coming to Ghana on 7th December.”

Congratulatory Messages

In a related development, President Mahama has sent congratulatory messages to president-elect Trump in a facebook post shortly after the victory saying, "Congratulations, US president-elect Donald Trump."

Nana Akufo-Addo also released a message, “I join many across the world in extending my warmest congratulations to the president-elect of the United States of America, Donald Trump, on his victory in the November 8 election. His competitor, Secretary Hillary Clinton, is also to be applauded for graciously conceding defeat.

“It is also my overriding hope that Ghanaian-American relations will grow from strength to strength under his presidency which has, over the years, been based on a shared agenda of freedom, development, progress, and prosperity.”

Progressive People’s Party (PPP) leader Dr. Papa Kwesi Nduom congratulated Mr. Trump via facebook saying, “The voice of the American people. The American people have spoken, loud and clear for change, to protect American interests and to ‘Make America Great Again.’

“Donald J. Trump stands elected as the next president of the United States of America. Congratulations to Mr. Trump, his family, and the Republican Party on the victory. He believed against great odds that he would win. He worked hard and relentlessly and won.

“It is my hope that the conciliatory tone and the pledge to lift all Americans up to a higher standard of prosperity will serve the people well for four years.”