Stephen Atubiga, NLC-GAP alliance flagbearer
The National Liberation Congress (NLC) and the Ghana Alternative Party (GAP) have announced their withdrawal from the 2024 presidential race.
According to the NLC-GAP alliance the decision was made during an emergency meeting held on September 11, 2024, which was chaired by Osahene Nana Agyei Boateng, leader and founder of the GAP, in collaboration with NLC executives.
Both parties, which had entered into an alliance for the upcoming elections, had initially endorsed Stephen Atubiga, leader of the NLC, to contest as an independent candidate.
However, logistical challenges, including the NLC’s incomplete certification from the Electoral Commission (EC) and insufficient time to register a new alliance logo, led to their withdrawal.
Atubiga, who was to run independently due to the alliance’s constraints, will no longer participate in the race.
The alliance cited several reasons for their decision, including feedback gathered from voters during their nationwide outreach in the country’s 268 districts.
According to a press statement announcing their withdrawal, many voters viewed an independent candidacy as ineffective in the current political landscape, dominated by the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
“Most voters have told us that voting for an independent candidate is a waste of their votes, as no independent can win the election for now,” the statement explained.
“Others have shared that the country’s current economic crisis compels them to choose between the NDC and NPP, as smaller parties or independent candidates are seen as lacking the capacity to lead.”
AM/KA
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