Isaac Asare, known as Akonoba, a Zonal Campaign Coordinator for the Bryan Acheampong campaign, asserts that a principal factor contributing to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) defeat in the 2024 general elections was the failure of the party, led by its presidential candidate, former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, to present a message of hope that genuinely resonated with Ghanaian voters.
Speaking on the program Frontline on Rainbow Radio 87.5FM, Akonoba noted that while the National Democratic Congress (NDC) successfully crafted compelling messages—such as the ’24-hour Economy Policy’ and ‘No Fees Stress’—Dr. Bawumia’s campaign, in contrast, excessively focused on and narrowed its entire focus to digitalization.
He lamented that although some of the NDC’s campaign messages contained manipulative and false narratives, the NPP failed to effectively counter them with a convincing alternative message that could mobilise and sway voters.
“The NDC and [John] Mahama campaigned vigorously with policies like the 24-hour economy, which even I knew was unimplementable, and other similar policies. Dr. Bawumia, however, reduced everything to digitalisation. We suffered from weak communication. Furthermore, our communicators appeared to be focused on self-promotion rather than articulating the NPP’s vision. Our campaign did not resonate with Ghanaian voters primarily because Dr. Bawumia confined his message to being a ‘digital man.’ It was, frankly, a terrible strategy. Our presidential candidate lacked a decisive ‘trump card’ in the 2024 general elections, and our communication team failed to deliver a clear message for victory,” Akonoba stated.
He further criticised the post-election campaign message used by Dr. Bawumia’s team, specifically the ‘aka nine pe’ slogan, describing it as an insult considering the severity of the electoral defeat.
“Dr. Bawumia suffered a humiliating defeat, yet his team seems to have no restraint in returning to delegates with the message that ‘aka nine pe’ (meaning ‘only nine left’ or similar). His handlers must urgently reevaluate their campaign messaging, as this approach is simply ridiculous,” he stressed.
Mr. Asare highlighted significant declines in the NPP’s performance, noting that while the party historically secures large margins in the Ashanti and Eastern regions, their vote totals dropped significantly in 2024. The Greater Accra Region recorded a similar decline of over 40 percent.
Mr. Asare added that the NPP urgently requires a candidate who possesses the necessary qualities and structural capacity to mobilize the grassroots and restore public confidence in the party, asserting that Dr. Bryan Acheampong is that candidate.
By: Rainbowradioonline.com/Ghana
