Key Points
- Ahenu says leadership and strategy caused NPP’s 2024 election loss.
- He challenges claims that low voter turnout led to defeat.
- A leadership overhaul and internal research are critical for recovery.
After the New Patriotic Party (NPP) suffered a crushing defeat in the 2024 presidential and parliamentary elections, Raphael Godlove Ahenu, the founder and CEO of Global Media Foundation (GLOMEF), has counseled the party to assess its performance critically. Speaking in Sunyani, Ahenu referred to the party’s explanations for the loss as “far-fetched” and urged it to stop deceiving its supporters and instead concentrate on its governance flaws.
Ahenu critiques NPP’s narrative on 2024 election defeat
Myjoyonline stated that Ahenu pointed out that the NPP made a calculated error in selecting Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh as its presidential and running mate candidates. He questioned the NPP’s decision-making process, saying that pairing Dr. Bawumia and Dr. Opoku Prempeh was political suicide. Additionally, he accused regional chairmen Abronye and Wontumi of putting party allegiance ahead of governance based on policies.
Vice President Bawumia was also reprimanded by Ahenu for concentrating on criticizing John Mahama’s policies during campaigns instead of outlining his own. He made reference to Bawumia’s dancing at campaign rallies when he stated, “The Jubilee House is not an entertainment center.”
Blaming voter turnout ignores deeper governance shortcomings
Ahenu rejected the NPP’s assertions that more over a million members abstained from voting, which contributed to their defeat. He questioned the party’s narrative, asking, “Even if true, why did the over 12 million who did vote also not vote for the NPP?”
He asked the party to take a close look at more fundamental problems, like how President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and other high-ranking officials performed and how their actions might have turned off supporters.
Ahenu suggested doing in-depth research into the reasons behind the loss and completely reorganizing the NPP’s leadership at all levels, from the national to the constituency, in order to recover. “The Great Elephant family will be able to reorganize, identify the actual causes of the loss, and take practical steps to address them as soon as possible,” he said.
