The Information Minister, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah has downplayed projections made by the Economic Intelligence Unit (EIU) on their expectation that the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) will win the 2024 polls.

According to him, government is rather bent on bettering the lives of Ghanaians between now and 2024 so much so that Ghanaians will retain the ruling party in the 2024 polls.

Speaking at a press conference in Accra on Sunday, the Minister noted that the report only serves as a “guiding notes” and must be treated as such.

NDC to win election 2024

The EIU says it expects the NDC to defeat the governing New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December 7, 2024, general elections.

This according to the Unit is because the NPP government has had two terms in power under the leadership of President Akufo-Addo.

“After two terms of NPP government, we expect the NDC to win the 2024 presidential election and to gain a small majority in Parliament,” part of a report issued by the Unit read.

In the 25-paged document sighted by JoyNews, the Economist Intelligence Unit said it was also expecting the NDC to introduce a new candidate although there are rumours that former President John Dramani Mahama who is also the party’s 2020 flagbearer would contest again.

“The next parliamentary and presidential elections are due in 2024. Under the constitutionally mandated term limits, Mr Akufo-Addo cannot run for a third term. Mr Mahama is reportedly considering whether to run again, but we expect the NDC to seek to revitalize its prospects with a fresh candidate.”

Government reaction

But the Ofoase Ayeribi MP said the prediction made by the US-based research institution is informed by the eight years change of government between the NPP and NDC.

“We are very much aware of this tendency but we believe that this whole thing were every eight years even when the country is making progress and power changes hands, it is something that can actually set us back.

"That is why this administration intends to work very hard to retain the confidence of the people by the time that our second term mandate is done. So that we can break the eight years cycle.

Mr Oppong Nkrumah added, “So it will ordinarily be a risk but it is phenomenon that we are akin to break and this expectation that every 8 years power changes hands, which is what is informing what they have put out there, is one that we intend to break.”

Touching on the ways government intends to transform the lives of Ghanaians, the Minister emphasised that the ruling administration seeks to re-engineer a recovery of the economy from where it is now, getting the economy back on growth trajectory, creation of jobs, and transforming the general outlook of the economy.