Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has acknowledged that NPP flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s campaign lacked the expected enthusiasm, signaling the challenges ahead for the party in last year’s election.
In a recent interview with Nhyira FM, the chairman of the NPP’s manifesto committee, reflected on findings from the Ashanti Regional regarding the party’s significant loss in the 2024 elections.
He noted that in previous elections, large crowds would gather in towns and cities to show support, but this was notably absent in 2024.
‘I started seeing signs that the election would not be easy, but we still hoped for a better outcome. The fact that the elections were held in December allowed us to regain some support.
‘If they had been conducted in August, Dr Bawumia would have polled around 30% against John Mahama because, at that time, economic hardships were severe.
‘However, conditions improved as we approached the elections, including the economic situation,’ he said.
The NPP flagbearer polled 4,877,611 votes (41.75%) against his key contender John Mahama who got 6,591,790 (56.42%).The Ashanti region findings highlighted key factors contributing to the NPP’s defeat.
Among them were the party’s internal delegate system for selecting leaders, which affected grassroots mobilisation, and the prevailing economic hardships, which eroded public confidence.