In a revealing social media post, former Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, Eugene Boakye Antwi, provided an honest assessment of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) defeat in the 2024 general elections.
Drawing from internal reflections and events leading up to the elections, Antwi shared the reasons behind the party’s loss and the lessons it should learn.
“We lost this General Election in the last quarter of 2022,” Antwi began, acknowledging a crucial turning point that may have contributed to the NPP’s downfall.
He pointed to the decision to retain Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta despite growing pressure from within the party to relieve him of his duties.
According to Antwi, the party failed to heed the concerns raised by 90 Members of Parliament who had called on President Akufo-Addo to remove Ofori-Atta due to his mishandling of the country’s economy.
“Keeping Ken Ofori-Atta at post till February 2024 meant that we were not listening to the very people who voted for us and therefore didn’t deserve their vote in 2024,” he said.
The failure to address the economic challenges and the widespread dissatisfaction with Ofori-Atta’s leadership became significant factors in the party’s loss at the polls.
Antwi further emphasized that the NPP’s inability to correct its course resulted in a severe punishment at the hands of the electorate.
“They have therefore PUNISHED us severely and taught the NPP a bitter lesson,” he remarked, underscoring the gravity of the political missteps made by the party.
He also highlighted voter apathy as a significant factor in the election’s outcome, noting that nearly a third of registered voters—6 million people—did not show up to cast their ballots.
“Almost a third of Registered Voters did not visit their Polling Stations to vote due to APATHY,” Antwi lamented. The lack of engagement from the electorate was a telling sign of their disillusionment, and this, in turn, played a pivotal role in the NPP’s defeat.
