Similarly, former CEO of the National Entrepreneurship and Innovation Programme, Kofi Ofosu Nkansah, said that the defeat of the NPP in the 2024 general elections was a referendum on the 8 years of the party when it was in office.
He says that from the President, vice, ministers, board chairs, CEOs, appointees and all those who had direct or indirect power or influence during the 8 years, they all, may have done something which contributed to the defeat.
To that end, he says they will not tolerate any agenda to push the blame from our 2024 defeat on the candidature of Dr Bawumia.
His comments come at a time when a group called Concerned Traders of New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Kumasi, called for a new flagbearer for the 2028 general elections, rejecting any attempt to reintroduce Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the party’s candidate.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday 4th February 2025 the spokesperson for the group, Benjamin Ofori, stated that the NPP’s humiliating defeat in the 2024 elections underscored the need for a different and winnable candidate.
He blamed the party’s electoral loss on unpopular government decisions and what he described as the selection of the “wrong candidate” in Dr. Bawumia.
“The assumption that Dr. Bawumia would secure the northern and Islamic votes did not materialize. Instead, the party suffered significant losses in these areas, eroding the gains the NPP had made since 1992,” Ofori stated.
According to the group, under Dr. Bawumia’s candidacy, the NPP lost four out of the five northern regions, a result they described as “embarrassing.”
They observed that even in the Vice President’s home region, the margin of victory over former President John Mahama was minimal compared to the 2020 elections. Meanwhile, Mahama secured a much larger victory margin in his own home region.
Reacting to this, Mr Ofosu Nkansah said in a Facebook post “Some of us will not tolerate any agenda to push the blame from our 2024 defeat on the candidature of Dr Bawumia. The election was a referendum on our 8 years in power and some of our People decided not to vote for various reasons. From the President, Vice, Ministers, Board Chairs, CEOs, Appointees and all those who had direct or indirect power or influence during the 8 years, we all may have done something which contributed to the defeat.
