Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s campaign for the presidential nomination is a peculiar one, built on a slogan that is either an act of pure genius or a dangerous miscalculation.
The Vice-President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) front-runner is pushing a message that reduces the complex challenge of winning an election to a simple, if bizarre, arithmetic problem: ‘Aka 9 Pɛ’—’Only 9 more to go’.
This audacious slogan, now ubiquitous on billboards and in political advertisements across the country, is not, as the uninitiated might assume, a reference to a sporting target.
Instead, it is a calculation based on the 2024 election results, in which the NPP and its candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo, secured roughly 41% of the vote. The Bawumia campaign’s logic is that he, as the Vice-President, can simply add another 9% to that total to secure a decisive victory in 2028.
A recent ad, featuring Bawumia’s own voice, doubles down on this flawed premise. “We came close to the goal, nearly 42%,” the ad states. “Aka 9 Pɛ. That is all that is left. 9 more to take this party back to power.”
This “rollover” strategy, however, ignores the fundamental reality of Ghanaian politics. Elections are not like a continuous game of Monopoly where previous gains are carried forward. Each contest is a fresh start, with every candidate beginning from zero.
The notion that votes are a static commodity, transferable from one election to the next, is a dangerous fantasy. If that were the case, the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC), which won the 2024 election with 56% of the vote, would already have victory in its pocket for the next contest.
The ‘Aka 9 Pɛ’ narrative is more than just a catchy jingle; it’s a high-stakes gamble. It risks creating a false sense of security among party delegates and voters, a belief that victory is an inevitability rather than a prize to be fought for.
It also deflects from the critical issues that the public is grappling with, such as persistent unemployment, a spiralling economy, and a general lack of confidence in the government.
Voters are not interested in mathematical fantasies; they are looking for a clear and convincing vision for the future. The 2024 election proved that the Ghanaian electorate is sophisticated and discerning, unwilling to be swayed by mere slogans or empty promises.
Dr. Bawumia and the NPP must confront the brutal truth: the only number that matters is 50% + 1. The path to the presidency does not run through a phantom 9% from the past, but through a genuine plan to address the nation’s problems and win the hearts and minds of the Ghanaian people.
Anything less risks turning a clever campaign slogan into a road to ruin.
By Prince Ahenkorah