Bawumia would have quit if he caused 2024 defeat – Akomea

The Chairman of the Communications Directorate of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s 2024 campaign, Nana Akomea, says the former vice president would not be seeking another presidential run if he had been responsible for the New Patriotic Party’s election loss.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Akomea rejected suggestions that Dr Bawumia’s candidature was the decisive factor behind the NPP’s defeat, arguing that credible post-election assessments do not support that claim.

“If Dr Bawumia had been the problem, none of these reports would have spared him, and I don’t think he would even be contesting again,” he said.

Akomea pointed instead to economic hardship and declining living standards as the dominant issues that shaped voter behaviour in the 2024 polls. He said this position is backed by several independent and internal studies conducted before and after the election.

According to him, reports by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Afrobarometer, Global Info Analytics and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation all reached similar conclusions. He added that the NPP’s own post-election review committee, chaired by Professor Mike Oquaye, also failed to identify Dr Bawumia as the root cause of the party’s loss.

“I was present when the Oquaye Committee presented its report. None of these surveys suggested that Bawumia was the problem,” Akomea stressed.

Dr Bawumia lost the 2024 presidential election to President John Dramani Mahama, who secured 6,328,397 votes, representing 56.55 percent. Dr Bawumia polled 4,657,304 votes, equivalent to 41.61 percent.

The defeat extended beyond the presidency, as the National Democratic Congress reclaimed power and won a dominant majority in Parliament, capturing more than 180 seats.

Several constituencies traditionally regarded as NPP strongholds also shifted to the NDC, highlighting the depth of the party’s electoral setback.

In explaining the outcome, Akomea said the NPP’s leadership has largely attributed the loss to voter apathy and low turnout among party supporters, rather than rejection of its flagbearer.

With the NPP’s presidential primaries scheduled for January 31, 2026, Akomea said Dr Bawumia deserves another opportunity, pointing to the energy and commitment he displayed during the campaign.

“We all saw the campaign Bawumia ran. It reignited hope that we stood a chance in the 2024 election, even though most surveys showed things would be tough,” he said. “Because of the hard work he demonstrated, the delegates will vote for him again.”

Akomea, a former Okaikoi South MP and ex-Managing Director of the State Transport Corporation, maintained that rebuilding the party will require confronting economic concerns that shaped voter sentiment rather than focusing blame on individual candidates.