Election 2024: Early concession was our biggest mistake – Weija-Gbawe MP
According to him, the premature concession by then-candidate Mahamudu Bawumia had unintended consequences on the ground
Deputy Minority Chief Whip, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has described the early concession by the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general elections as a major strategic error that impacted the party’s chances of contesting the presidential results.
Speaking on Atumpan on AsaasePa 107.3, the Weija-Gbawe MP said while the NPP’s swift concession may have been viewed internationally as a sign of democratic maturity, it undermined the party’s ability to thoroughly scrutinise the presidential results.
According to him, the premature concession by then-candidate Mahamudu Bawumia had unintended consequences on the ground.
“People said we did well by conceding early, but that was the number one problem we faced during this election, if you ask me,” Shaib said.
“In Weija-Gbawe, the agreement was that the presidential results would be declared before the parliamentary,” he said. “I did that because I wanted to serve the interest of my presidential candidate so I wouldn’t be celebrating my own victory and forget about him.”
“We came into the next day to collate the parliamentary slot, and that was when Dr Bawumia had conceded defeat. That concession gave us a lot of problems,” he claimed.
The MP suggested that the concession created uncertainty for security officers on the ground, with some reportedly hesitant to act decisively for fear of political backlash.
“The police who would have ensured law and order feared they would be victimised,” Shaib said. “I know of many police officers who have been transferred after the elections. This is what happens when you are too fast to concede, although to the larger international community, we are seen to be democratic.”
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