Former Member of Parliament for Dome-Kwabenya, Sarah Adwoa Safo, has condemned any attempt to blame the flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 elections, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia for their loss in both the parliamentary and presidential elections.
According to her, there is more to the loss than Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
“What has he done? They don’t want to speak the truth. If you are a flagbearer, but the Vice President, when you say something, they will take it only if it serves their purpose. Prof Mike Oquaye should find out what happened in the Dome-Kwabenya constituency first before preparing his report. Dome-Kwabenya should be number one. He has to let us know why his son lost in his bid to become MP for that constituency. He should explain that before blaming Dr Bawumia,” she said on Accra-based Asempa FM on March 18.
According to the former Gender Minister, Prof Oquaye “should explain why, I as a woman, was able to hold the seat of that constituency for 12 years, but his son could not even win the seat.”
The NPP lost significantly in the 2024 elections. At the presidential level, Dr Bawumia secured 38% of the votes whereas the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) John Dramani Mahama garnered 57%.
In Parliament, the NPP has 88 members as against the NDC’s 183.
Consequently, the NPP has set up an 11-member committee chaired by former Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Mike Oquaye.
The committee has been tasked with investigating the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) loss in the 2024 elections.
The committee, which has been given three months to complete its work, will focus on evaluating the party’s internal elections, campaign strategies, and the challenges that contributed to the electoral defeat. The committee is expected to propose actionable solutions for future elections.
According to NPP’s General Secretary, Justin Frimpong Kodua, the committee’s objective is to conduct a thorough review and provide recommendations to strengthen the party’s operations.
Even before Mike Oquaye’s committee presents its report, information making the rounds is that Dr Bawumia’s candidature cost the NPP the 2024 elections.
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.”
Meanwhile, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has called for unity among party members to build a stronger force to forge ahead. He urged them to stop the blame game but rather mobilise themselves for the greater good of the party.
Dr Bawumia made these remarks when he received the parliamentary candidates and party sympathisers from Klottey Korley, Anyaa- Sowutuom, Weija-Gbawe Constituencies at his residence. He attributed the defeat of the party to apathy, as most NPP members did not cast their ballot. He encouraged members not to despair but to continue to believe in God.
“We handed over this election to the NDC. The analysis show that their numbers didn’t change; ours decreased by 40 percent. We just didn’t vote, but I want to assure you that united we stand, divided we fall. Let’s all know that God’s plan for us is the best, and his ways are not our ways. We may not understand whatever we go through, but let’s trust in God. I know we are sad and in pain, but God knows best. Let’s stop the blame game, as it can destroy the party. Let us come together, unite, and look towards the future. At this stage, we are looking forward to building the party again. It is not about individual benefits but the party,” he said.
