By: Mohammed Amin Lamptey Hussein (Political Communication Expert)
POLITICAL communication is not simply about speaking well or responding quickly to criticism.It is about understanding the issue, reading the political environment and choosing the right message and tone for the right audience.
It is against this background that the recent comments by Nii Lante Vanderpuye on the public exchange between the Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin and Acting Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Gold Board, Sammy Gyamfi, deserve closer attention.
According to Nii Lante Vanderpuye, Sammy Gyamfi was a good communicator but lacked the level of political communication experience he had acquired over the years. He said: he would have communicated differently and adopted a different tone, particularly because the exchange was taking place on a public platform and was being watched by Ghanaians.
Interestingly, Nii Lante Vanderpuye acknowledged Sammy Gyamfi as arguably one of the finest political communicators within Ghana’s mainstream political environment. My question, therefore, is whether Nii Lante Vanderpuye, as a qualified and experienced political communicator, took sufficient time to critically analyse the issues before making his comments.
Communication and Political Relations:
As an expert in political communication and marketing, and still learning, I have come to acknowledge communication as a vital tool required in every human relationship.
People use communication to share ideas, feelings and facts. It also helps build trust, stop fights and help teams and organisations work well.
Within organisations, corporate communication and inter-departmental communication skills are very much needed to ensure business success.
Effective communication changes how people act and feel. It builds strong bonds, brings families, friends and co-workers closer and helps solve big problems. Sharing verifiable or clear facts,and also helps individuals, groups and organisations resolve problems quickly.
A Reactive Style of Political Communication:
A reactive style of political communication is a defensive strategy where leaders, political parties or governments respond to unexpected events, crises or opposition attacks after they have happened.
It focuses largely on damage control, firefighting and answering critics.
With the above understanding of reactive political communication, I am still pondering what Nii Lante Vanderpuye intended to achieve with his perspective on Sammy Gyamfi’s response to Afenyo-Markin.
Sammy Gyamfi had described Afenyo-Markin as a “noisemaker” and accused him of having “bastardised and depraved” the office of the Minority Leader over claims concerning an alleged $1.7 billion loss associated with the Ghana Gold Board’s Domestic Gold Purchase Programme under his stewardship.
In my view, a political communicator must not look at only one side of such an exchange.
I don’t think Nii Lante Vanderpuye took enough time to critically analyse the issues, juxtapose the comments made by the two personalities, Afenyo-Markin and Sammy Gyamfi, and consider independent observations from technocrats before making what I regard as reactive comments.
The manner in which a message is delivered is important, but the substance of the message, the circumstances surrounding it and the facts of the matter are equally important.
Political Lying and the Changing Communication Environment:
On contemporary political lying,former British Prime Minister Tony Blair once said:“The truth becomes almost impossible to communicate because total frankness,relayed in the shorthand of the mass media, becomes simply a weapon in the hands of opponents.”
With proactive communication skills, contemporary political lying has shifted from hiding isolated facts to building total alternative realities.
Some political leaders and political actors no longer just spin or conceal secrets; they use digital platforms to attack the very idea of shared truth.This can create deep social division and turn falsehoods into a permanent tool for political power.
It must be made clear to all political enthusiasts that lying can sometimes serve to show dominance and group loyalty rather than to convince opponents or make logical sense.
Social media algorithms, ecosystems and echo chambers can spread fake claims instantly, making correction difficult.
The result is an erosion of trust. When citizens become cynical about public institutions and media sources of information, political accountability becomes more difficult.
Loss of Political Accountability:
In some political jurisdictions, political leaders avoid real responsibility because their supporters reject independent fact-checking as bias.
This is why political communication must go beyond defending political parties and attacking opponents.
Political communicators have a responsibility to help the public understand complex issues, separate facts from allegations and promote responsible political discourse.
The Effects of Propaganda Techniques in Political Communication:
This is an area in political communication I have taken seriously because it helps me in my political communication content, packaging and delivery.
Propaganda techniques shape public opinion, trigger rapid emotional responses and can influence voter behaviour by turning complex issues into simple, black-and-white choices.
They serve as active tools for political power, helping candidates mobilise supporters, strategically attack opponents and control public narratives.
The key goals of propaganda in political communication are to persuade the masses, change what people think by using clear messages and build political identity by creating strong groups who feel connected to a leader or political cause.
It is therefore important for political communicators to understand propaganda techniques and, at the same time, recognise the ethical responsibility that comes with using them.
Nii Lante’s Response:
I expected Nii Lante Vanderpuye to have used propaganda techniques underpinned by political communication management to respond to the questions raised about Sammy Gyamfi’s delivery.
His apology was quite good, particularly because of its timing. However, it could also be viewed as an act of self-damage control aimed at calming the situation and repositioning his political ambition, particularly in relation to the NDC national chairmanship position.
That is an interpretation of the situation, and the political circumstances will ultimately determine how the public assesses it.Nii Lante Vanderpuye, in my opinion, must revisit his political communication notes and tutorials to help reshape his political communication skills, particularly in the areas of strategic communication, crisis management and message delivery.
Political Communication and Ghana’s Elections:
I have said it again and again that most of our political communicators are noise makers because they are untrained. Being eloquent in a language does not automatically make someone a qualified political communicator, regardless of his or her academic credentials.It is also my view that some politicians in high positions are poor in public speaking, let alone political communication and marketing.
Political Propaganda Techniques:
Political propaganda uses emotional manipulation, selective or biased facts and loaded language to shape public opinion and direct voter behaviour. Politicians may use these methods during campaigns to promote their agenda, build loyalty and strategically attack opponents.
In my assessment, elements of these techniques have featured in Ghana’s political campaigns over the years.
For instance, one could argue that the NPP under President John Agyekum Kufuor benefited from elements of name-calling propaganda during the 2000 elections. Name-calling propaganda technique involves giving an opponent a bad label or negative stereotype in an attempt to make people reject the person without necessarily examining all the facts.
The NDC under the late President John Evans Atta Mills also benefited from what could be described as bandwagon propaganda technique during the 2008 presidential election.This technique creates the impression that everyone supports a particular cause or candidate and encourages others to join the perceived winning side.
Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and the NPP also employed strong negative-label and opponent-focused messaging during the 2016 campaign, while the NDC under President John Dramani Mahama used strong mass-support and victory-oriented messaging during the 2024 presidential election.
These observations should not, however, be taken to mean that propaganda techniques alone determined the outcomes of those elections. Elections are influenced by many factors, including economic conditions, leadership,effective communication,strategic marketing,campaign organisation, party structures and voter expectations.
A deeper understanding of political communication spectacle is therefore necessary to appreciate the strategies behind political campaigns and the messages delivered to voters.
Conclusion:
Hon. Nii Lante Vanderpuye should have known better as a seasoned politician and communicator.I believe he needs to develop a new leadership style and take time to revisit his tutorials on political communication, as well as the ethics of minimising harm in journalism and politics. Political communication should not simply be about who speaks louder, who responds first or who wins an argument.
It should be about understanding the issues, communicating responsibly, providing verifiable information and helping citizens make informed decisions.
The ultimate responsibility of an experienced political communicator is therefore not only to defend a political position but also to help shape a political environment where truth, accountability and responsible communication can thrive.
Source: Nationaltymes.com
