Global Shifts and Ghana’s 2024 Election: Lessons for a Resilient Opposition in 2028

The last 4 years have not been easy for any nation in the world. So much that opposition parties easily capitalise on economic hardships and unpopular decisions made by the incumbent to win votes.

In the United States, Kamala Harris and the Democrat party lost significantly to Donald Trump and the Republican party.

In the United Kingdom, the ruling Conservative Party who had been in power for over a decade suffered a significant defeat to the Labour Party.

In South Africa, the African National Congress (ANC), dominance since the end of apartheid, lost its parliamentary majority for the first time.

In Botswana, the ruling party BDP lost the elections for the first time in 58 years to UDC (a party formed in 2012).

In India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata party was re-elected for a third term, but lost his parliamentary majority for the first time in a decade.

In Japan, the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), which has governed for much of the post-war period, lost its majority in elections.

In France, President Emmanuel Macron’s party faced a backlash after calling for snap parliamentary elections. A coalition of left-wing and centrist parties gained ground, capitalising on discontent over controversial reforms.

In Senegal, President Macky Sall’s alliance suffered a major defeat, with opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye winning the presidential election.

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In Iceland, the centre-left Social Democratic Alliance defeated the ruling Independence Party amid a high voter turnout of 80%.

In Bangladesh, the Awami League’s grip on power weakened significantly, with opposition parties gaining substantial ground amid concerns about democratic processes and economic management.

Then in Ghana, the ruling NPP lost by a huge margin. Losing many traditional seats in the process.

We lost due to an incumbency deficit (becoming unpopular because you are in power and have to manage all the challenges). With recency bias, many forgot the challenges they faced prior to 2017 and demanded solutions to current problems.

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Going forward, we have to be a strong opposition force, educate the Ghanaian masses on what happened globally, show them our successes despite the challenges faced and give them a resonating message of hope for 2028.