The internal debate within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the causes of its 2024 electoral defeat has intensified, with fresh opinion emerging ove
The internal debate within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) over the causes of its 2024 electoral defeat has intensified, with fresh opinion emerging over attempts to pin the party’s loss and the economic difficulties on former Vice President and presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia.
A member of Kennedy Ohene Agyapong’s campaign team, Dr. Stephen Amoah, has publicly rejected claims that Dr. Bawumia was responsible for the economic downturn that preceded the NPP’s defeat, describing such accusations as misleading and politically motivated.
Speaking on Asempa FM’s Ekosii Sen programme, Dr. Amoah popularly called Sticka argued that it would be intellectually dishonest and politically unfair to reduce the NPP’s electoral loss to the actions or leadership of a single individual.
According to him, the economic challenges were the result of complex local and global factors, including post-COVID-19 shocks, debt restructuring pressures, and broader macroeconomic dynamics beyond the control of any one government official.
“Bawumia did not destroy the economy of Ghana,” Dr. Amoah stated.
“As someone who has studied economics, I understand that these issues are far more complex. To single him out is nothing more than political propaganda designed to shift blame.”
Dr. Amoah’s comments come against the backdrop of growing internal criticism from some NPP figures who argue that Dr. Bawumia’s candidature cost the party the 2024 elections.
Among those criticisms are claims that the state of the economy and the exchange rate of the dollar under the Akufo-Addo-Bawumia administration alienated voters and weakened the party’s electoral appeal.
However, Sticka insisted that the focus of the party should not be on scapegoating but on strategic renewal.
He maintained that the NPP still enjoys significant public goodwill and that its path back to power depends on choosing a candidate who best reflects the aspirations of the electorate at the right time.
“The people do not hate the NPP,” he said. “Timing and representation matter. Our responsibility now is to understand what Ghanaians want and position the party accordingly to regain power.”
The debate took another turn following recent comments attributed to Abetifi MP and former Minister of Food and Agriculture, Bryan Acheampong, who reportedly suggested that the economic conditions, particularly the exchange rate situation left under Dr. Bawumia, played a decisive role in the party’s defeat.
Those remarks have themselves sparked backlash within the party.
Former New Juaben North NPP Constituency Chairman, Kwadwo Boateng Agyemang, has openly criticised Bryan Acheampong for what he described as an attempt to distance himself from collective responsibility.
Speaking on Adom TV’s Badwam morning show, Kwadwo Agyemang argued that Acheampong, who served as the Eastern Regional Campaign Coordinator for Dr. Bawumia in 2024, cannot absolve himself of blame while accusing the party’s flagbearer.
“If Bawumia failed, then Bryan Acheampong also failed,” Agyemang asserted. “He was a key member of the campaign team and one of Bawumia’s advisers. You cannot help shape a campaign and then turn around to say the candidate alone is responsible for the loss.”
Agyemang questioned the logic of Acheampong’s argument, suggesting that if poor strategic decisions were made, those advising the candidate must equally be held accountable.
He further described it as contradictory for a campaign coordinator to later warn party delegates that presenting the same candidate again would be disastrous.
“What advice was he giving at the time?” Kwadwo Agyemang asked.
“If the campaign failed in the Eastern Region or nationally, then those who coordinated and advised must share in that failure.”
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