Former Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Nii Ayikoi Otoo, has identified the obsession with winning elections as a key factor hampering Ghana’s development.

Speaking on Accra-based CTV's Master of the Game show with Kwesi Kyei Darkwa on Wednesday, November 29, 2024, Ayikoi Otoo lamented how political leaders often abandon visionary policies for fear of losing elections or winning them.

“I was a member of the NPP’s manifesto committee in 2016, and all the policies designed to propel the country forward were not jokes,” he revealed.

He cited initiatives like One-District- One- Factory and One-Village-One Dam, which were formulated to foster genuine development.

According to him, while these policies were conceived with the best intentions for the country, they were ultimately sidelined due to a shift in focus to secure electoral victories.

“The NPP had these lofty ideas, but along the line, they were abandoned because of the cycle of winning elections.

This has been the bane of the party’s inability to fully achieve its goals,” Ayikoi Otoo explained.

Although he refrained from giving specific reasons for the party’s shift in focus—stating that he was out of the country serving as Ghana’s ambassador to Canada—he noted that the fear of offending certain groups and the need to appeal to voters were significant contributors.

He emphasized that the NPP, like other political parties, had great plans for the country, but the overarching focus on winning elections derailed the implementation of these transformative ideas.

Ayikoi Otoo urged political parties to prioritize the nation’s long-term development over short-term electoral gains, stressing that breaking this cycle is essential for Ghana's progress.