2024 Election: Rev Dr. Worlanyo Officially Declares Independent Run for President

Rev. Dr Samuel Worlanyo Mensah, an Economist has declared on Thursday his independent candidacy for president, officially commencing his effort to defeat both former President John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and Vice President, Dr Mohamudu Bawumia of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) of a long-shot general election bid.

“I’m here to declare myself an independent candidate for president of December 7, 2024 general elections in Ghana,” Rev Dr Worlanyo said in remarks at the University for Development Studies (UDS) Guest House Conference Hall in Accra.

Dr Worlanyo official declaration comes after several weeks of media reports of his intention to run for the president in the 2024 race.

The manifesto which would also be launch in a few weeks’ time will herald a series of events, the Economist and Lecturer at the Wisconsin International University College said, pledging to travel part of the country to canvass for votes.

He expressed confident he’ll gain ballot access in every constituency ahead of December 2024.

Independent and third-party candidates have struggled in the past to garner substantial support in presidential elections. Since 1992, businessmen and engineers mounted successful independent presidential contest in recent history, which ended with them receiving less significant votes in the general election.

Nonetheless, Dr Worlanyo acknowledged the unsuccessful history of independent presidential candidates but said he’s optimistic about his chances.

He anchored his vision on the blue economy, promising to revolutionize the aquaculture and commercial agriculture sectors, backed them with robots cost-effective policies with lean government of 44 Ministers.

Dr Worlanyo who is also the Executive Director of Centre for Greater Impact Africa (CGIA) believed the current junk economy is self-inflicted and that the depress economy was totally avoidable if successive leaders of the country had harnessed the God given resources for the benefit of the masses but not their parochial interest.

“Today, we turn a new page in Ghana politics. There have been independent candidates in this country before, but this time it’s going to be different. Because this time, the independent is going to win,” he said.

He promised to revisit the seven-year development plan of Osagefo Dr Kwame Nkrumah, Ghana’s first President and other key policies of successive leaders and blend them with the plans he has for the nation to restore hope for prosperity.

Worlanyo campaign as an independent could further complicate a general election race that’s already expected to be closely contested. He is a man of his own words and have over the years proven his moral integrity as a person who do not tolerate any form of conduct that could lead to corruption.

The crowd of supporters in the UDS Conference Hall received Worlanyo warmly, particularly when he discussed his plans to create a “home-grown economy” while assuring that Ghana’s mineral and oil resources would be refined in the country and that no raw crude oil or gold would be exported for refine and be imported.

Rev Dr Worlanyo has never held public office but has inspired a small contingent of supporters drawn to his advocacy for good governance in Africa and his stance against the abuse of political power and misused of state resources by government.

He founded CGIA, an organization that regularly expressed its concerns and stances on national and continental issues, especially on economy and governance.

Dr Worlanyo believed in equality for all and not for the few and promised to lead a kind of government that would give power to the citizens to decide for their destiny and not leaders deciding for the citizens to follow.