Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has identified a combination of external and domestic challenges as key factors behind the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) defeat in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking with Bernard Avle on Channel One TV’s The Point of View on Monday, October 6, 2025, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu pointed to the COVID-19 pandemic, the party’s internal issues, the Russia-Ukraine war, and the government’s Domestic Debt Exchange Programme as major contributors to the party’s electoral setback.
According to the former Suame MP, although the Akufo-Addo administration worked hard to protect lives and livelihoods during the pandemic, the interventions came at a heavy cost to the economy.
He emphasised, “The former President [Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo] did so well to protect livelihoods and lives. But it had a toll on the country’s finances, and going forward, it ignited some heat in the system. And then we had to go to the IMF for a bailout.”
He also highlighted the impact of rising global prices, including fertilisers, as a result of the Russia-Ukraine war, which escalated the cost of living in Ghana.
He further admitted that governance challenges after COVID-19 led to stalled development projects, which deepened frustrations among citizens.
“Some of the things that we had not intended to do, the domestic debt exchange programme, which affected over 800,000 people. They had families, and so, they were pressed. Then we had other matters, including, in particular, the Russia-Ukraine war, which escalated the cost of many items. Even fertilisers were affected.