Franklin Cudjoe, the president of policy think tank IMANI Africa, has expressed the view that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the New Patriotic Party (NPP) are responsible for the humiliating defeat they suffered in the 2024 elections.
Cudjoe believes that the loss could have been less crushing if Bawumia, as flagbearer, had acknowledged the government’s failings.
“Finally the scales of self-denial have fallen off! I think it is appropriate to add that you brought this upon yourself. If you had admitted this basic fact as the Asantehene and I repeatedly advised you to do during the campaign, the voter beating would have been a bit humane,” Cudjoe said.
He continued by urging Bawumia to show more leadership in the future, stressing that admitting shortcomings earlier would have mitigated the damage. “Next time, please man up and speak up. That’s leadership, not coming to ‘confess’ after the glaring facts that caused so many a livelihood and death. I guess this ends the importance placed on the vaunted Mike Mike Gabo Oquaye report! What a waste of time,” Cudjoe remarked.
His comments followed Dr. Bawumia’s recent remarks during a thank you tour in the Western Region, where the NPP flagbearer listed several factors contributing to the party’s electoral defeat. Bawumia cited the government’s failure to listen to the people, the decision not to reshuffle ministers, the introduction of the e-levy, the arrogance of power, and the DDEP as key reasons for the NPP’s loss in the 2024 elections.
