Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, Member of Parliament for Ofoase-AyirebiKojo Oppong Nkrumah, Member of Parliament for Ofoase-Ayirebi and a member of the New Patriotic Party’s Constitutional and Legal Committee, has laid bare the key reasons behind the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections.
Mr. Oppong Nkrumah outlined findings from the internal review committee led by former Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye. The committee was set up to assess the party’s performance and identify what went wrong.
According to the MP, the report uncovered four central issues: persistent economic difficulties, weak internal governance, operational confusion, and a deep sense of exclusion among party members.
“The Mike Oquaye committee was established to review our performance in the election. In every election, whether we win or lose, we do an introspection. The committee report highlighted four major issues,” he said on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Monday, July 21.
“There were issues of governance policy, particularly on the economy, that were raised. It appears that was a major item. The majority of people said they either didn’t vote or voted against us because of their view that we had not been able to resolve the economic challenges robustly enough, in their opinion.”
He went on to stress that the party’s internal structure was also a major factor.
“There were issues of party corporate governance. So you will find that things broke down on the ground in some parts because of issues of corporate governance. Corporate governance within the party had its own challenges.
“Number three, we had issues of operations—who has the power to do this and that. And finally, you had the perception at the party that when it comes to decision-making in the party, a lot of people are excluded. People who have to participate don’t participate, and the ownership of those decisions and advancing the course of those decisions suffer.”
Despite the sobering revelations, Mr. Oppong Nkrumah said the NPP has begun implementing reforms recommended in the report, beginning with the just-ended National Delegates Conference.
Held on Saturday, July 19, at the University of Ghana Stadium, the conference brought together party stalwarts, grassroots organizers, and regional leaders to confront the party’s internal weaknesses and build a new strategy for recovery.
With the next election cycle looming, the NPP’s ability to fix what Mr. Oppong Nkrumah called its “corporate and operational dislocations” may determine its chances of regaining public confidence.
