American go to the polls on November5, Do you know that both Ghana and the United States of America (USA) have some similarities in their politics?
Well, let me break it down for you.
First, both Ghana and the United States of America, which often touts herself as a global authority and police-teacher of democracy, were colonized by Great Britain.
While Ghana gained its independence on the 6th of March 1992, led by its first president Osagyefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, the United States of America, on the other hand, kicked out the Brits on July 4, 1776. George Washington became the first president and has been referred to as the “Father of the Nation”.
Aside from both countries being colonized by the same colonial master, the U.S. and Ghana go to the polls to elect their respective Presidents in the same intercalary year or leap year. (That is, power changes handsevery four years).
However, the US decides who leads them mostly in November, while Ghana elects its leaders in December.
Another interesting similarity is the dominance of two political parties. Although Ghana practices the Multiparty System, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) and the National Democratic Party (NDC) have over the years dominated the political landscape. The US equally has the Democratic Party and the Republican Party.
Many say the umbrella seems to be perfectly fit with the Democratic Party. The elephant is also parallel with the Republican Party.
Furthermore, ever since Ghana ushered in the Fourth Republic in 1992, and has chosen to be consciously democratic, every time the Democrats are in power in the US, the National Democratic Congress (NDC) are also in power in Ghana, and the same applied to the Republicans and the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
For instance, William J. Clinton- Jerry John Rawlings pair in 1992-2000. Making it the first democratic pair.”
20001-2008 saw the first Republican pair where George W. Bush was president of the US while John Agyekum Kufuor headed Ghana as her President.
When Barrack Obama won the 2008 elections in the US, Prof. John Evans Atta-Mills was given the nod to lead Ghana. This ushered in the second democratic pair. 2009-2016.
The second Republican pair was also between Donald Trump and President Akufo-Addo from 2017 to 2020.
During the 2020 elections, the democrats both in the US and Ghana appointed females as their running mates. Joe Biden chose Kamala Harris while John Mahama picked Prof. Naana Jane Opoku- Agyemang.
However, the longstanding chain which many didn’t expect to break, broke in the 2020 elections.
When President Akufo-Addo was given the Jubilee House for his second term, Donald Trump was kicked out of the White House.
Joe Biden from the camp of the democrats stood in the oval while Akufo-Addo was endorsed and trusted with the Jubilee house.
It is yet another election year for both Ghana and the US, and this time around, Donald Trump, a one-term former President of the Republicans, is seeking to snatch the Presidency from Joe Biden and the Democrats.
Likewise, John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress is eyeing the seat for his last term.
The sitting Vice president of Ghana, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, is hoping to be promoted to President, the same as Kamala Harris of the US.
With Joe Biden’s decision to step aside from the White House, Kamala Harris has taken it upon herself to lead the Democrats to victory. If she wins, she will be the first female President of the free world.
And should the NDC also win, Prof. Naana Jane Opoku-Agyemang will be the first female vice President of Ghana.
The big question is, who wins the seat of presidency in the US and Ghana? Will the sitting vice president be elevated to the highest office of the land? Or will the former one-term presidents find favour and mercy in the eyes of the electorates?
Well, time will tell.
