Bawumia Cannot Be Blamed for NPP’s 2024 Loss: Nana Akomea Refutes Bryan Acheampong’s Claims

Introduction

The aftermath of the 2024 Ghanaian general elections has sparked intense debate within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) regarding the factors that led to their electoral defeat. A prominent narrative emerging from internal discussions is the attribution of the loss to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the party’s 2024 presidential candidate. However, Nana Akomea, the Chairman of the Communications Directorate for Dr. Bawumia’s campaign, has firmly dismissed these allegations.

Speaking on Peace FM on Thursday, December 18, 2025, Nana Akomea addressed claims made by Bryan Acheampong, the Member of Parliament for Abetifi, who suggested that Dr. Bawumia’s candidature was the primary reason for the NPP’s defeat. Akomea characterized Acheampong’s assertion as a “personal conjecture” lacking empirical support. This article provides a comprehensive analysis of the dispute, examining the data-driven arguments presented by Akomea and the broader context of Ghana’s economic and political landscape.

Key Points

Background

The 2024 general election in Ghana resulted in a significant shift in the political landscape, with the National Democratic Congress (NDC) securing victory. Consequently, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) has engaged in a period of introspection and post-mortem analysis to understand the reasons behind the defeat. In this volatile environment, various narratives have surfaced, with some party figures pointing fingers at specific individuals.

The Accusation

Bryan Acheampong, a key figure in the NPP, publicly declared that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s candidacy was the “major reason” for the party’s loss. This statement implied that the electorate rejected the NPP specifically because of the person leading the ticket, rather than the party’s overall performance or policies.

The Defense

Nana Akomea, serving as the Communications Chairman for the Bawumia campaign, took the opportunity to set the record straight. By appearing on a major media platform like Peace FM, Akomea aimed to pivot the conversation away from personality clashes and toward structural and economic factors that influenced voter behavior. His defense rests on the premise that the Ghanaian voter prioritizes economic well-being over individual personalities.

Analysis

To substantiate his claim that Dr. Bawumia was not the liability Bryan Acheampong portrayed him to be, Nana Akomea relied heavily on third-party, independent research. This approach is crucial in political discourse as it moves the argument from opinion to verifiable fact.

The Role of Pre-Election Polling

Akomea cited three major organizations that predicted the NPP’s loss well before the election:

• The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU): A globally recognized research and analysis division of The Economist Group. The EIU had long predicted a difficult electoral cycle for incumbent governments in Ghana due to inflation and debt management issues.
• Afrobarometer: A pan-African research network that conducts public attitude surveys. Their surveys leading up to 2024 indicated high levels of dissatisfaction regarding the cost of living and unemployment.
• Global Data Analytics: A polling firm that provided data suggesting an NPP defeat driven by economic disaffection.

Akomea’s argument is logical: if these independent bodies predicted a loss based on the economy (“bread-and-butter issues”), and they did not cite the candidate as a variable, then the economy was the primary driver. Blaming the candidate, therefore, ignores the macroeconomic reality facing Ghana at the time.

Post-Election Verification

The reliability of pre-election data is often debated, but Akomea bolstered his position by referencing post-election analysis conducted in 2025. The Prof. Mike Ocquaye Committee, established by the NPP to investigate the loss, reportedly identified economic hardships as a key factor. Additionally, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation, a German political foundation, released analysis aligning with these findings. These reports collectively dismantle the theory that Dr. Bawumia’s personal popularity or lack thereof was the decisive factor.

Practical Advice

For political parties navigating the aftermath of an electoral defeat, the dispute between Akomea and Acheampong offers valuable lessons on party management and strategic communication.

1. Focus on Policy Over Personality

Parties should prioritize analyzing policy impacts rather than engaging in personal blame games. As Akomea demonstrated, attributing a loss to structural economic factors allows the party to address the root cause (policy adjustment) rather than a symptom (candidate replacement).

2. Leverage Independent Data

When defending a position or analyzing a loss, relying on neutral, third-party data (like the EIU or Afrobarometer) provides a stronger foundation than anecdotal evidence. It depersonalizes the debate and focuses on objective reality.

3. Manage Internal Dissent

Public disputes between senior party members can damage the party’s brand. Parties should establish internal mechanisms for resolving grievances to prevent conflicting narratives from reaching the public sphere, which can confuse the electorate and demoralize the base.

4. Rebuilding Trust

As indicated by the recent surveys showing rising support for Dr. Bawumia among delegates, rehabilitation of a candidate’s image is possible through continued engagement. Parties must ensure that capable leaders are not unfairly scapegoated for broader systemic failures.

FAQ

Conclusion

The debate surrounding the NPP’s 2024 defeat highlights the tension between personal narratives and empirical data. While Bryan Acheampong attributes the loss to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, Nana Akomea presents a compelling, evidence-based counter-argument. By citing a consensus of independent research—both pre- and post-election—Akomea argues that the defeat was a result of macroeconomic realities and “bread-and-butter” issues rather than the popularity of the individual candidate.

Ultimately, this discourse serves as a reminder that electoral outcomes are complex and rarely attributable to a single cause. For the NPP to move forward effectively, acknowledging the economic drivers of the 2024 result, as highlighted by Akomea and supported by various research institutions, appears to be a necessary step toward rebuilding and regaining the trust of the Ghanaian electorate.

Sources

• Life Pulse Daily: Original report on Nana Akomea’s statement (Published: December 18, 2025).
• Peace FM: Interview with Nana Akomea regarding the 2024 election results.
• The Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU): Country Report on Ghana (2023-2024).
• Afrobarometer: Survey rounds on public perception of the economy and governance in Ghana.
• Konrad Adenauer Foundation: Analysis of the 2024 Ghanaian general elections.
• Prof. Mike Ocquaye Committee Report: NPP internal review of the 2024 electoral defeat.