Former President, John Dramani Mahama, has refuted the notion that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are the same.
Speaking to the media, the NDC’s presidential candidate for the 2024 elections emphasized the distinctive records of the two parties and urged NPP members to acknowledge the issues their party has caused in Ghana.
He criticized the NPP’s propaganda, stating that not all politicians are alike, and accused them of attempting to create an illusion that regardless of which party comes to power, the outcomes will be the same.
Mahama underscored that the NDC’s accomplishments in various sectors, including education, electricity, water, and digitalization, set them apart from the NPP.
“It is NPP propaganda… they are in their mess and want to draw everybody else into the same mess. You’ve messed the country up. Not all politicians are the same. But they’re happy to push that mantra and make it look like Oh, whether NDC comes or NPP comes, you’re better off staying with us because when NDC comes it will be the same.
“That is the psychology of the propaganda they are doing. We are not the same,” he stated.
Highlighting their contributions to education, Mahama noted that the NDC constructed all public universities in Ghana, while the NPP merely renamed them.
Furthermore, he claimed that the NDC provided more Ghanaians with electricity and water than any previous party, increasing water coverage from 55% to 72% during his tenure.
“We have given more Ghanaians electricity than any party in the history of this country. Rolling started the national electrification program, and the rural electrification program, which has brought Ghana to above 80% electricity coverage.
“In our time we’ve given more Ghanaians water than any party in the history of this country. When proof came into office water coverage was 55%. By the time I left office, water coverage was 72%. We have built all the public universities in this country, NPP hasn’t built one public university, they’re just good at renaming them with their party figures,” he said.
Regarding digitalization, Mahama highlighted his role as the Minister of Communications in initiating the digital revolution in Ghana by dividing posts and telecommunications, establishing Ghana Telecom, and laying optic fiber across the country.
In conclusion, Mahama urged for a fair assessment of each party’s achievements and emphasized that the NDC’s record speaks for itself.
“We started the digital revolution in this country. I was Minister of Communications when we divided posts and telecommunications and created Ghana Telecom and allowed Space Phone and all the mobile operators to come in. We started laying optic fibre in this country, did the Eastern Corridor Optic Fibre. And so that whole digital revolution started in our time.”