Kwesi Botchwey Junior, an aide to former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has dismissed claims that the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) loss in the 2024 general elections was linked to the tribal background of its flagbearer.
Speaking on Accra-based Citi FM, Mr. Botchwey argued that the party’s defeat was largely the result of governance and leadership choices during its tenure, not ethnicity or religion.
“If we are to have a conversation as to why the NPP lost the 2024 election, there are several factors, both internal and external. Externally, the Russia-Ukraine war had an impact.
“Internally, it was about the government’s own decisions: the reshuffle or lack thereof, the handling of the domestic debt exchange, the introduction of taxes like the E-Levy and betting tax, slow infrastructure delivery, and unemployment. These are what people were unhappy about,” he explained.
He insisted that these issues shaped voter dissatisfaction, not Dr. Bawumia’s northern roots or Islamic faith.
“There is no evidence that Dr. Bawumia’s tribe or religion caused the NPP’s defeat,” he said.
His comments came in response to Abetifi MP and flagbearer hopeful, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, who over the weekend attributed the NPP’s 2024 electoral loss to tribal dynamics, suggesting that Bawumia’s candidacy alienated sections of the northern electorate due to historical rivalries.
Dr. Acheampong had also argued that former NPP leaders like John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo fared better in the north because they were viewed as more neutral in regional politics.
Source: AdomOnline
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