An academic and stalwart of the New Patriotic Party, Dr. Richard Amoako Baah has cautioned Ghanaian voters against being influenced by the riches and monetary inducements of political candidates.
He said political elections were not “beauty contests” and should be decided on the capacity of the candidate to provide solutions to the myriad of problems confronting the country.
Speaking on TV3’s Ghana Tonight programme, Dr. Amoako Baah emphasized that the country needs someone who is versatile and easily adapts to different situations, and “not just one who looks good or speaks well and makes promises”.
“We need someone who knows what he wants to do, it doesn’t mean he knows everything but he has a working idea of everything he is doing,” he stated.
His advice is considered an important reminder to delegates of the NPP as they prepare for the Party’s Super Delegates Conference to select five candidates for the party’s presidential primary in November this year.
He bemoaned the nature of the country’s political system, which he said sometimes favoured the rich and failed to produce the right leaders.
“Our whole political setup is not set up for the right person, it s set up for a beauty contest and in that beauty contest, only rich people participate in it. If presidential aspirants don’t have the means, don’t bother.
“That is why we find it difficult to find the right person,” he noted, and added that it was time to go for a very capable leader, and “not just one who looks good or speaks well and makes promises”.
