On Sunday April 14, 2024 edition of TV3’s Hot Issues, Keminni Amanor played host to Dr Michael Abu Sakara Forster of the National Interest Movement (NIM).
Discussions centered on the electoral alliance between Movement for Change and National Interest Movement, the aim of Alliance for Revolutionary Change, need for bi-partisan development agenda and 2024 elections.
Here are 8 Hot Issues raised on the show:
- ‘This is not where we expected to be’ – Abu Sakara on Akufo-Addo’s legacy
Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster, who believes President Akufo-Addo has performed below expectation said what Ghanaians envisaged from this administration is less than what they are being served.
“I’m not someone who lambasts people just for the sake of it. I think they have done some things which are good. I like the Free SHS even though the implementation of it has challenges, the concept of it was good.
“The economic conditions speak for themselves, and Ghanaians had very high hopes, but I think we can all say with a degree of honesty that this is not where we expected to be. This is not our sitting place, we could be higher.”
2. 2024 poll: You don’t need to be a wizard to figure our numbers will grow – Abu Sakara
Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster expressed optimism about the growth in the numbers of the non-aligned movements that have come together to form an alliance for the 2024 presidential election.
He said people are gradually drifting from the two traditional political parties, especially from the ruling New Patriotic Party, stating that the expected growth of those who aren’t committed to any party is obvious.
His comments stem from recent research conducted by Global InfoAnalytics which saw the NPP’s Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia trailing the opposition’s John Dramani Mahama by almost 20%, with Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen following with 7.5%.
According to the survey, “the ruling party’s candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (DMB) trailing the main opposition candidate, John Dramani Mahama (JDM) in the race to lead the country in 2025. The poll shows JDM leads with 54.3%, DMB, 34.9%, Alan Kwadwo Kyerematen (AKK), 7.5%, Nana Kwame Bediako, 2.3%, others, 1%.”
Reacting to the report the agriculturist noted that Alan Kyerematen’s 7% of the votes per the research is unprecedented for an independent candidate in the history of Ghana’s elections. He added that if a new poll is conducted after their alliance it will bring more shocking outcomes.
“This poll if we have it today must be from at least two weeks to a month ago, so it is not talking about what has happened after the alliance has happened. So, you would have to wait for a month or so and then do another poll to see what the reaction of Ghanaians to the Alliance is.
3. ‘Alan is a credible candidate; brings a lot to the table’ – Abu Sakara
Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster disclosed the qualities possessed by the leader of the Movement for Change (M4C), Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, that made him join forces with him for the ‘Alliance for Revolutionary Change’ (ARC).
Citing his political experience and the clout he has as a person within his former party, the New Patriotic Party (NPP), and the nation as a whole, Dr. Sakara said Alan Kyerematen “brings a lot to the table.”
He is confident Ghana’s former Trade and Industry Minister is the best person to transform the nation into what it is supposed to be.
“I saw a number of issues and on balance, I think that he is a credible candidate that brings a lot to the table. He is experienced, that in itself, is going to make him somebody who makes sure the system works for everybody, because if you cannot work for me to the extent where I have to leave something I helped to build, I will want to make sure that in my government, this works for everybody. That’s what we have always preached in the NIM that there must be equity, there must be meritocracy, if we are to have a system that is different from what we have now,” he said Sunday, April 14, 2024.
4. Not all people from NPP-NDC are bad; we’ll get the good ones to form a gov’t of national unity – Abu Sakara
Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster explained the need to get some members of the NPP and NDC on board for a government of national unity.
He said the move will be relevant if his Movement’s alliance with Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen’s Movement for Change (M4C) succeeds in getting an independent candidate as President.
According to him, “the talents of the country can never be in only one group of people” and “it’s not all of them (NDC and NPP) who are bad.”
The former presidential candidate of the Convention People’s Party (CPP) noted that they will need a blend of the best they have with the good ones from the two main political parties to form the government of national unity.
“We are going to use the best people who are with us, and then also get people who are good from NPP, NDC to form a government of national unity. You cannot say that ‘don’t touch those people from NPP, NDC, they are bad’, it’s not all of them who are bad. Some of them have never even had the opportunity within their own party to do anything so you have to be realistic about that,” he said.
5. Dr. Abu Sakara shares what inspired his ‘Alliance for Revolutionary Change’ with Alan Kyerematen
Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster shared what inspired his Movement’s alliance with Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen’s Movement for Change (M4C).
The two political organisations have disclosed that they have concluded talks with a number of political entities and individuals to establish a grand Alliance to contest the 2024 general elections.
According to him, they came together because apart from the two groups being movements, “we have the same outlook and the same objectives. We want to see a transformative change not just a change. A change in terms of getting the quantum leap in development that have eluded us all this while so that objective brought us together.”
Dr. Abu Sakara continued that the Alliance is something he has been talking about over the past half decade since he exited the CPP. He averred that such an alliance is the only means to break the NPP-NDC duopoly.
He posited that this is the right time to right the wrongs, having endured the hardship the two political parties have subjected Ghanaians to for over three decades.
“We have all been thinking about how we can form the vehicle that will be an alternative to the NPP and NDC and offer us something beyond what they have offered us, so that again became the driving force.
“We know individually we may not have the wherewithal because the elections have now been heavily monetized, so it is going to take a collective effort of people who are not on the other side, but now on non-aligned domain to come together rather than contest individually within that domain. So, it’s a natural and organic process that happened and it has had its time,” he indicated.
6. The economic conditions speak for themselves – Abu Sakara on Akufo-Addo’s legacy
Dr Michael Abu Sakara Foster accused President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo of performing below expectations.
He stated that Ghanaians had high hopes in President Akufo-Addo but he failed them woefully.
“I’m not someone who lambasts people just for the sake of it. I think they have done some things which are good, I like the Free SHS even though the implementation of it has challenges, the concept of it was good.
“The economic conditions speak for themselves, and Ghanaians had very high hopes, but I think we can all say with a degree of honesty that this is not where we expected to be. This is not our sitting place, we could be higher,” he told Keminni Amanor.
Dr. Abu Sakara added that the report of the Global InfoAnalytics survey conducted recently is an indication that Ghanaians are drifting away from the traditional parties having deceived the citizenry for the 32 years that they have alternated power.
He expressed confidence that if another poll is conducted in the future to reflect the alliance between himself and leader of the Movement for Change (M4C), Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen, for the ‘Alliance for Revolutionary Change’ (ARC), his unprecedented 7.5% votes will shoot up.
“This poll must be from at least two weeks to a month ago, so it is not talking about what has happened after the alliance has happened. So, you would have to wait for a month or so and then do another poll to see what the reaction of Ghanaians to the Alliance is.
Our flag bearer on his own, Alan Kyerematen, has 7% of the votes at the very minimum. (nobody has had that the past years) that tells you that something fundamentally different is about to happen in this election and that there is a drift out of the traditional parties, more out of NPP than NDC, into the non-aligned domain and you can see the numbers as it stands now and what it tells you is that as the election goes on, if this drift continues to happen, then the groups that are not in the NDC or NPP will be the ones that grow the most and you don’t need to be a wizard to figure that out.
7. Something fundamentally different is about to happen in this year’s election – Abu Sakara on Global InfoAnalytics poll
The Founder of the National Interest Movement (NIM) said that the recent poll conducted by Global InfoAnalytics shows that the dynamics will change in this year’s general elections.
The poll stated that “the ruling party’s candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (DMB) trailing the main opposition candidate, John Dramani Mahama (JDM) in the race to lead the country in 2025. The poll shows JDM leads with 54.3%, DMB, 34.9%, Alan Kwadwo Kyeremanten (AKK), 7.5%, Nana Kwame Bediako, 2.3%, others, 1%.”
Reacting to the report, Dr. Abu Sakara noted that Alan Kyerematen’s 7% of the votes per the research is unprecedented for an independent candidate in the history of Ghana’s elections. He added that if a new poll is conducted after their alliance, the outcome will be more shocking.
“This poll must be from at least two weeks to a month ago, so it is not talking about what has happened after the alliance has been happened. So, you would have to wait for a month or so and then do another poll to see what the reaction of Ghanaians to the Alliance is.
“This poll tells us that our flag bearer on his own, Alan Kyerematen, has 7% of the votes at the very minimum” something the former flag bearer for the CPP said has never happened before, noting that “that tells you that something fundamentally different is about to happen in this election and that there is a drift out of the traditional parties, more out of NPP than NDC, into the non-aligned domain.”
He further stated that “the numbers as it stands now and what it tells you is that as the election goes on, if this drift continues to happen, then the groups that are not in the NDC or NPP will be the ones that grow the most and you don’t need to be a wizard to figure that out.”
8. Objective of transformative change brought us together – Abu Sakara on Movement for Change merger
Dr. Abu Sakara Foster stated that the alliance with Alan Kyerematen’s Movement for Change was borne out of a desire for a transformative change in the management of the country.
He said the transformative change goes beyond a mere change in political parties, that is, the NPP or NDC, during elections.
The 2012 presidential candidate for the opposition Convention People’s Party (CPP) noted that the merger was also fueled by an interest in breaking the NPP-NDC duopoly.
Responding to what motivated him to merge with the Movement for Change, he said, “First of all, we are movements, and we also have the same outlook and the same objective.”
“We want to see a transformative change—not just a change, not a change of party, not a change of leadership but a change in terms of getting the quantum leap in development that has eluded us all this while,” he stated.
“So that objective brought us together,” he told Keminni Amanor..
The leader of the National Interest Movement further underscored the need to constitute a third force to break the duopoly of the two leading political parties, the NPP and the NDC.
The two parties have, over the last three decades, secured the highest number of votes, allowing them to switch power amongst themselves.
Note: With additional files from Laud Nartey, Felix Anim-Appau and Emmanuel Kwarteng.