Ghanaian lawyer and academic Tsatsu Tsikata has said the overwhelming rejection of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the December 2024 general elections is clear evidence that the principles on which the National Democratic Congress (NDC) was founded continue to resonate with Ghanaians.

Speaking at a birthday lecture held in honour of the late former President Jerry John Rawlings, founder of the NDC, Mr Tsikata reflected on the party’s journey under the theme, “From Revolution to Fourth Republic: The Rawlings Legacy.”

According to him, the outcome of the 2024 elections should serve as a reminder that Ghanaians still value the ideals that shaped the NDC and expect the party to remain committed to those principles while in government.

“The decisive rejection of the NPP in the December 2024 elections, both in the presidential and the parliamentary elections, is decisive proof that the ideals for which the NDC was founded, and which we still hold dear, these ideals matter to the people of Ghana,” he said.

Mr Tsikata, however, cautioned the NDC against becoming complacent after its electoral victory.

He urged party members and government appointees to use the occasion of the commemoration to reflect seriously on the party’s future direction and its responsibility to the nation.

“I want to insist from the onset that the NDC must use this commemoration to reflect on its future, its message, and its value proposition. What does the NDC have to offer to the nation, to the world at large, now and into the distant future?” he asked.

He warned that there was a risk of setting low standards after years of dissatisfaction with the previous administration.

“There is a danger, especially after what the country went through in the disastrous 2017 to 2024 period under President Akufo-Addo and Vice President Bawumia. There is a danger that we lower the bar of what the nation expects of us in the NDC, and that we aim to be just a little better than the previous government,” he stated.

Mr Tsikata said it would be wrong for public officials appointed by the NDC government to measure their success only by comparing themselves with those who served before them.

“Appointees would only seek to compare themselves to their predecessors, and by that measure, be content with some improvement in performance, and therefore become complacent,” he said.

He said that such an approach would not only disappoint Ghanaians but would also betray the values that have guided the NDC since its formation.

“May I say without hesitation that this would be both an affront to the people of Ghana, as well as an affront to the illustrious traditions of the NDC.”

“Accountability matters. Standing resolutely against corruption matters,” he added.