Now is the time to restore Ghana – Mahama

The Presidential Candidate for the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, has described the 2024 general election as a pivotal moment for the nation, urging supporters to come out in large numbers and vote.

Speaking at the party's final campaign rally on Saturday, December 5, at the Zurak Park in Madina, Mr Mahama emphasized that the upcoming election "represents a choice between the Ghana we have today and the Ghana we want to build together."

Read portions of his statement below:

My brothers and sisters, I've just come off the campaign trail in the Ashanti Region and I want to tell you that the people of Ashanti Region extend their greetings to all of you and they say on Saturday you are going to be surprised at what is going to come from Ashanti region. 

My brothers and sisters, my beloved Ghanaians, the time is now. The time to replace fear with hope is now. The time to replace cynicism and disillusionment with courage and determination is now. The time to replace poverty and insecurity with solid development and safety for all is now. The time to restore the economic fortunes of Ghana is now.

Ladies and gentlemen, the time to reset our country, Ghana, is now. Saturday's election is not just another election. It is a defining moment for our nation.

It is a choice between the Ghana we have today and the Ghana we want together. A Ghana of opportunity, prosperity and justice for all. Our young people deserve to live in a Ghana where their voices are heard and their dreams can become reality.

The working people of Ghana deserve decent, sustainable jobs that enable them to care for their families and live with pride. And I mean well-paying jobs. People in the public sector deserve recognition for their merits.

They also deserve stability, predictability and good working conditions. Entrepreneurs deserve a free and fair market where their ingenuity and industry can thrive. 

Women and girls deserve true equality, safety and the chance to reach their full potential and every Ghanaian deserves leadership that puts the people first, that fights corruption and that builds a nation we can all be proud of.

My comrades and friends, this is why I am committed to building a stable, safe and viable 24-hour economy that creates opportunities for millions of jobs to be created. I am committed to implementing economic measures to fight inflation and make food more affordable for all Ghanaian households and this is why I am committed to running the leanest government in our country's history with no more than 60 ministers and deputy ministers of state. And also a lower number of political appointees and cutting out wasteful government spending and scrapping the payment of extra share.

And this is why I am committed to waging a relentless war on corruption. Only should return all the loot. This operation will be implemented with dedicated zeal to retrieve the stolen monies and properties for our country's development and for the benefit of our young people.

I will fight corruption to restore integrity and fairness, which are two critical ingredients missing from the governments of Akufo-Addo and Baumea. 

Ladies and gentlemen, this is why I am committed to empowering women and ensuring that they are no longer treated as second-class citizens in their own nation. 

The stature of my able Vice-President, Vice-Presidential Candidate, soon to be the Vice-President of the Republic of Ghana, Professor Jane Nana Opoku Agyemag and our plan to set up a women's development bank to support the establishment of more women-owned businesses and our traders from tabletop to large-scale businesses are all practical demonstrations of that commitment we have. 

My fellow Ghanaians, I cannot do this alone. Your vote is your voice. Your vote is your power. And your vote is the key to unlocking a better future for the people of Ghana. Ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to take action on Saturday.

This is not a decision we can leave for another time. It is not a decision we can leave for another election or another generation. This is our moment and the time is now to bring about the change we need in order to reset Ghana.

We need to reset our democracy, to reset our governments, to reset our economy, to reset our finances, reset our agriculture, reset our infrastructure, environment, reset our health and education sectors, and everything else that we hold dear as Ghanaians. 

The vision to build the Ghana we want is a collective responsibility. And so let us vote on Saturday to reject despair and to choose hope. Let us vote to reject impunity and choose respect. Let us choose hardworking and trustworthy leadership. 

My comrades, Ghanaians are going to hold us to a higher standard than they have held their enemy and I want to remind you once again that there is no use fighting for political power if we would come and commit the same atrocities that they have inflicted on the people of Ghana these last eight years. 

My brothers and sisters, Ghanaians are going to put their trust in us on December 7th. But we must prove ourselves worthy of that trust. The change we are all looking for starts with you. And I promise you that we will work together to be able to put our country back on its feet. 

December 7th is just two days away and I encourage all of you to vote for John Mahama and I'll make you all proud of the Ghana that we are going to build together.

Ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to vote wisely and I want to caution the NDP administration and to caution our security services and the military and the entire body of people who are in charge of supervising this election. 

I urge you to resist the defiant actions that some people are planning. To the people of Ghana, the National Democratic Congress will go to the polling stations with you.

Together, we will police and courageously protect our votes and resist all attempts to steal them. Ladies and gentlemen, I urge you to vote wisely. I urge you to resist the defiant actions that some people are planning.