Since 1992, Ghana’s elections have seen several stories of successes and failures for political parties and individuals alike.
Often, when these stories are discussed, people focus on the winners and those who achieve successive victories.
The losers, despite their interesting journeys, are mostly ignored.
However, this has not deterred some individuals, who have persisted in their attempts to win the hearts of Ghanaian voters.
While some politicians disappeared into obscurity after losing their first presidential or parliamentary elections, a few are still on the 2024 ballot despite suffering two or more losses.
From disqualifications by the Electoral Commission (EC) to securing less than one per cent at the polls, these candidates are no strangers to electoral loss.
Is their determination to grab the presidential or parliamentary seats election after election fuelled by personal interests or the sheer passion to serve their people?
With the 2024 general elections just a few hours away, The Ghana Report’s Election Data Centre breaks down some of the serial losers who are once again attempting to win big on December 7.
Hassan Ayariga
The leader of the All People’s Congress (APC) has become a household name in Ghanaian politics. Mr Ayariga has contested all presidential elections in the country since 2012.
In 2012, he ran for president on the People’s National Convention (PNC) ticket and polled 0.22% of the total valid votes.
In 2016, he lost the party’s primaries to Edward Mahama, whom he had beaten to become presidential candidate in 2012.
Alleging electoral misconduct, he left the party to form the All People’s Congress (APC) in the same year.
However, the Electoral Commission (EC) disqualified Mr Ayariga from appearing on the ballot in the 2016 presidential election due to errors in his nomination forms.
Unperturbed, the APC founder tried again for the presidency in 2020 and got only 0.054%.
In another bold move, Mr Ayariga is again contesting the 2024 presidential election on the APC ticket.
Percival Kofi Akpaloo
The founder and flagbearer of the Liberal Party of Ghana (LPG) is having a third go at Ghana’s presidency in the 2024 election.
In 2012, Mr. Akpaloo’s Independent People’s Party (IPP) sought to gain seats in the general election of December 2012 but failed.
Mr. Akpaloo filed to contest in the 2016 presidential election, but the Electoral Commission disqualified him together with 13 other candidates.
He later dissolved the IPP and formed the Liberal Party of Ghana in March 2017.
In 2020, he once again contested for the presidency on the ticket of the LPG and only polled 7690, representing 0.059% of the total votes cast.
Before he set his sights on the presidential seat, the LPG leader had contested for the Manhyia parliamentary seat in the Ashanti region as an independent candidate in 2004.
He went against Dr. Kwame Addo Kufour, Kwame Boateng, Salifu Mumuni, and E.A. Ohene Darko.
Mr Akpaloo was second behind the NPP’s Dr. Kufour with 10,704 votes.
Kwasi Bonzoh
The District Chief Executive (DCE) for Ellembelle in the Western Region won the NPP Constituency parliamentary primary to retain his candidature for the fourth time.
Kwasi Bonzoh had already lost three earlier parliamentary contests against the NDC’s Deputy Minority Leader, Emmanuel Armah Kofi Buah.
His quest for the Ellembelle parliamentary seat began in 2012 when he competed for the seat of the NPP.
Without losing hope, Mr Bonzoh has contested in every general election since then.
He is giving it another shot in the 2024 polls.
Ebi Bright
The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has maintained its parliamentary candidate for Tema Central in Greater Accra for three consecutive times.
Ms. Bright, the only woman contesting among six men for the three main Tema seats, became the parliamentary candidate for the NDC for the 2016 elections, taking over from Mr. James Enu.
In 2016, Ms. Bright came onto the scene, contesting against the then MP, and increased the NDC’s votes from 2012’s 4,366 to 12,937, with over 85 percent gain.
The 2020 elections saw Ms. Bright shoring up her vote to 16,728, a difference of 3,791 votes.
With the increase in the party’s votes due to Ms Bright, her supporters believe the time is ripe for her to make history in the constituency by snatching the seat for the NDC.
They say the third time is a charm. But will the people of Tema Central prove this right?
Alhaji Razak Alhasan
The 2024 Convention Peoples Party’s (CPP) parliamentary candidate for the Adentan constituency is attempting to claim the seat for the third time.
Alhaji Razak has been in the race since 2016 when he took over from Mamshie Omar Bawa.
In 2016, he polled 163 votes. His second attempt in 2020 saw a slight increase in his votes with 204.