We Ignored the Voters Who Put Us in Power, and Now They Have Punished Us – Eugene Boakye Antwi
Former Deputy Minister reflects on the NPP's defeat, citing internal mistakes and voter disillusionment as key factors behind the party's loss in the 2024 elections
- NPP's failure to heed calls for Ofori-Atta’s removal fueled discontent within the party
- Nearly a third of registered voters abstained from voting
- Antwi acknowledges the electorate's “punishment” for the party's failure to address pressing issues
In a candid social media post, Eugene Boakye Antwi, the former Deputy Minister for Works and Housing, gave an unflinching assessment of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) loss in the 2024 general elections.
Drawing from internal reflections and events leading up to the elections, Antwi shared the reasons behind the party’s loss and the lessons it should learn.
“We lost this General Election in the last quarter of 2022,” Boakye Antwi began, acknowledging a crucial turning point that may have contributed to the NPP’s downfall.
He pointed to the decision to retain Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta despite growing pressure from within the party to relieve him of his duties.
According to Boakye Antwi, the party failed to heed the concerns raised by 90 Members of Parliament who had called on President Akufo-Addo to remove Ofori-Atta due to his mishandling of the country’s economy.
“Keeping Ken Ofori-Atta at the post till February 2024 meant that we were not listening to the very people who voted for us and therefore didn’t deserve their vote in 2024,” he said.
The failure to address the economic challenges and the widespread dissatisfaction with Ofori-Atta’s leadership became significant factors in the party’s loss at the polls.
Antwi further emphasized that the NPP’s inability to correct its course resulted in severe punishment at the hands of the electorate.
“They have therefore PUNISHED us severely and taught the NPP a bitter lesson,” he remarked, underscoring the gravity of the political missteps made by the party.
He also highlighted voter apathy as a significant factor in the election’s outcome, noting that nearly a third of registered voters, 6 million people, did not show up to cast their ballots.
“Almost a third of Registered Voters did not visit their Polling Stations to vote due to APATHY,” Antwi lamented. The lack of engagement from the electorate was a telling sign of their disillusionment, and this, in turn, played a pivotal role in the NPP’s defeat.
