Research and data firm, Fitch Solutions, predicts that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will defeat the ruling New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December 7 general elections.
The London-based firm has consistently forecasted this outcome since last year, and it argues that 54 per cent of respondents surveyed favour NDC’s candidate John Mahama as the winner of the upcoming presidential election.
Mike Kruiniger, an Associate Director of Country Risk at Fitch Solutions, explained during the Mid-Year Review for Sub-Saharan Africa that the current state of the economy will significantly influence voters’ choices on December 7.
He stated, “We believe that the opposition NDC has a stronger chance of winning the upcoming general elections than the ruling NPP. Recent polls consistently place the NDC ahead, with the most recent survey showing 54% of respondents favouring the NDC.”
Kruiniger also highlighted that economic management and job creation will be the most important issues for voters during the election, which he believes will put the ruling NPP at a disadvantage due to the economic challenges the country has faced over the last couple of years.
Furthermore, he mentioned that the country’s policy direction is not expected to change under an NDC government. According to him, a Mahama-led administration is likely to continue with the International Monetary Fund program initiated by the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia government.
“In terms of what a government change will mean for the economy, we think that policy direction under a likely NDC government will not change significantly. The NDC will most likely stick to Ghana’s IMF program, particularly as the party has shown commitment in the past to international agreements and obligations. So, in summary, we expect policy continuation in Ghana despite a likely government change,” he stressed.
