As the two major agents of Ghanaian democracy in recent time faces each other once again, political pundits, loyal party followers and even nay sayers are finding it hard to predict how the table turns today, the NDC and NPP final rallies in Accra were graced by hundreds of thousands of supporters . The election tantrums to sway support to the two major parties were witnessed from all facets of the society even the Ghanaian celebrities were enmeshed in different controversies over their public show of support for their favourite candidates. The Ghanaian people has heard enough of each parties development plans to advance Ghana socio-economically and otherwise but some factors that will influence the voters decision today are not to be found in the parties manifesto .
1. The Change mantra.
Change as they say is the only thing constant under the surface of the earth ,human beings are prone to want to experience something different from what they have been accustomed to for a period of time, that's why entertainment is one of the top grossing section on earth today, the feeling to experience something different, the expectation that there could be something better lurking somewhere out there is pivotal in all human endeavours, but unfortunately Ghanaians of this generation has experienced both the NPP and NDC style of governance and change as a word won't be as effective as it was in neighbouring Nigeria, where the word Change did a miracle because only PDP had ruled the nation in since the fourth republic, so most of the people were eager to experience a new form of leadership which today has fallen below their expectation and has made the beautiful "Change" mantra unattractive.
2. Recent election results in USA and Gambia
No doubt that the shocking emergence of Donald Trump as presidential elect after the November 7 American elections and the shocking defeat of President Yahya Djammeh of Gambia on Dec 1 2016 has reinvigorated the faith of NPP supporters as Ghana's December 7th polls approaches, in both elections the ruling party's lost to almost inexperienced opposition leaders and Nana Akufo Addo with his decades of political and judicial experience , more and more floating voters will be hopeful in his person and capability of driving the Ghanaian Nation forward as his supporters can take advantage of this to advance their change ideology to the masses.
3.NPP in-house Fracas
Prior to this time ,the Leading opposition party was embroiled in an in house fracas that resulted in Nana Akufo Addo sacking the Party's National Chairman and National Secretary , Mr Paul Afoko and Mr Kwabena Agyapong respectively ,a move that drew wide condemnation, and was taken advantage of by the opposition to portray Nana as a vicious and vindictive person , and when The Upper East Regional Chairman of the New Patriotic Party Adams Mahama died following an acid attack on him ,this worsened a delicate situation and got some Ghanaians questioning Nana's ability to unite Ghanaians under his rule.
4.Dumsor.
It is a known fact that Ghana's energy challenge worsened under the NDC Government , which almost crippled Ghana's economic activity for a while in 2014/15 before Prez. John Mahama also came to the rescue and fortified the energy sector which has improved tremendously in generating enough energy to serve the Nation, Ghanaians were so disturbed by the dumsor that some had to demonstrate though peacefully on the streets ,and till today so many Ghanaians still fear that the dumsor challenge is not permanently over ,and are of the opinion that if Mahama returns to power , the electricity crisis will return since he won't need their votes again and will have to soft pedal on the expensive makeshift providing electricity this election year. and there is no guarantee that Nana Akuffo-Addo will provide a stop-gap to the electricity crisis the moment he steps in, so whichever way it goes Ghanaians are expecting the return of their electricity crisis after the election and are definitely in limbo over their choice of president when it concerns dumsor but most on the opposition see Dumsor as a credible reason to vote out NDC.
5.Infrastructural development.
one thing that no Ghanaian will deny is the massive facelift that John Mahama has given the nation infrastructurally, Prez. John Mahama went on several commissioning trips during the last month and is still cutting sods on new projects about to take off, the velocity of his projects in all regions of Ghana is tremendous and is the factor that will work in his advantage the most and sway voters to him massively. The opposition couldn't help but challenge the amount with which he is executing this ,which they accused him of shortchanging Ghanaians on by bloating the contracts and diverting Ghanaian tax payers money in guise of infrastructural project.
Nevertheless most Ghanaians are of the opinion that no political party will assume office without its members diverting public funds, so they appreciate the infrastructural development of Ghana as done by NDC ,because diverting public funds while developing the nation , is something almost every politician is bound to do as there are no angels on earth.
This factors and other sentiments will play a major role in becomes the victor and who is vanquished as the poll result is finally declared by EC Ghana and only Ghanaians reserves the utmost right to decide who will be in the flagstaff house come January 2017 and has vowed to vote wisely.
