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The New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost the 2024 general election because it failed to properly communicate its achievements to the electorate, according to Bosomtwe MP and flagbearer hopeful Yaw Osei Adutwum.
Speaking in an interview with Africawatch, the former Education Minister reflected on the party’s crushing defeat, describing it as “a loss never seen by the NPP since the Fourth Republic began in 1992.”
“Since we lost the elections, I have been reflecting on why we lost so heavily. Maybe we didn’t do what I did in education: evidence-based communication,” Adutwum said.
Little investment
He explained that while the NPP government achieved significant progress in various sectors, the party did not invest enough effort in showcasing those accomplishments to ordinary Ghanaians.
“There are times when you do a job so well but if you don’t spend enough time communicating it, people will not know what you have done, especially in the face of the slash-and-burn political environment we have in Ghana,” he noted.
Dr Adutwum argued that the opposition’s relentless attacks on the government easily overshadowed the NPP’s record in office.
“Voters may just simply say we didn’t see it, it never happened,” he said, adding that “in reality we did so much, but in my personal assessment, we came short in properly communicating our accomplishments. And we were punished for it in the ballot box.”
Ready to serve
The NPP suffered a historic defeat in the December 2024 presidential and parliamentary polls, losing both the presidency and its parliamentary majority to the National Democratic Congress (NDC).
Dr Adutwum’s remarks come as the party begins the difficult process of rebuilding its image ahead of future elections. He maintains he is the best person to lead the party.
“My training, experience, and global exposure have equipped me to identify the potential in people and bring together diverse talents for the effective execution of programs. This strength, I believe, will serve my party well if I am elected the flagbearer,” he told the media organisation.
Fierce contest
The Bosomtwe MP, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, will face stiff competition from former vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former Minister for Food and Agriculture Bryan Acheampong, former NPP General Secretary Kwabena Agyepong, and outspoken former Assin Central lawmaker Kennedy Agyapong.
The party has since opened nominations ahead of the January 2026 contest.
Reporting by Wilberforce Asare in Accra
