1. Exciting Sights & Sounds from the Campaign Trail

The spontaneous unscripted moments are everything to die for like Nana Oye Bampoe being crowned Manye Adzigo 1 in Akpokope by the good people of Agotime Ziope or my good self being gifted a bag of onions in the Central region by an overly excited party supporter.

2. Sometimes, moments of great consequence are best remembered by the light-hearted accompanying events.

Like being asked to represent the NDC’s flagbearer at the National Collation Centre aka the EC’s strongroom, whereupon my first thoughts became “I have to take my own coffee along with me!” Consequently, Comrade Woeli and I avoided any contact with the EC’s food and drinks, perhaps fearing and avoiding the ghosts of 2020! Very funny indeed, come to think of it.

3. The end of the rally is better than the beginning.

Like always being anxious about the very empty rally grounds hours ahead of the start time, and always being pleasantly surprised by how quickly the venues always filled up in the end. Sometimes with no standing room!

4. I’m excited and my voice is going away

I remember delivering the health section at the Youth Manifesto launch, and my voice got scratchy with all the shouting. Kabila, our Volta Regional Youth Organizer, keenly watched and spontaneously came to my rescue with blessed water. Thank you, Kabila!

5. The race is not for the swift, it is for party loyalists and die-hard fans.

Like being approached by two women in Winneba during the manifesto launch with “We came all the way from Kumasi, Honorable. Kindly help us with something small to buy Kenkey. We already have fried fish which we brought along with us.” They then proceeded to show me the fried fish, tied up in a back polythene bag. Little money for transportation, no money for food, no money for accommodation, but they are here. They are so here, unshaken in their belief that some “Honorable” will by all means meet them halfway. Such dedication. Such love!

6. Every Comrade is my brother or Sister but in the game of politics … Like being strategically excluded in the dark from certain meetings, while being openly accused of not attending said meetings to which you have not been invited. Intriguing stuff! In these political games we play, you can totally expect us to be daytime friends, and nighttime rivals, worthy of being undermined. It’s all in the mix!

7. Your contributions were great, and it took the entire village to win.

How about you make room for the possibility that someone else’s contribution might have been greater, someone’s networks might have been stronger, someone quietly opened mighty doors and perhaps more importantly, that you may never know what others have contributed beyond the spotlight? Ultimately, let us hold each other to account, ensuring fidelity to the grand policies espoused with the aim of impacting ordinary lives positively. If the government achieves that, we have succeeded.

8. Accountability will come first from within if NDC deviates from the Reset Agenda or neglects the grassroots!

A clear and unmistakable message from the Constituency Executive who gently pulled me aside after our campaign stop over. A message, quite resonant with others I heard in the Afram Plains and in the North East region. We have all been put on notice!

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The writer, Sodzi Sodzi-Tettey, can be contacted via email at sodzitettey@gmail.com