Former General Secretary of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Obiri Boahen, has described the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections as extraordinary and unprecedented.
In an interview on Okay FM, the private legal practitioner highlighted the magnitude of the party’s losses, particularly in parliamentary seats, as evidence of the severity of the situation.
“… It is no small issue because it is not something normal nor ordinary… First, consider the number of seats obtained by the NPP; it’s something around the eighties. Secondly, check the collation centers or electoral areas; it is just not normal,” he remarked.
Factors Behind the Defeat
Reflecting on what may have contributed to the NPP’s poor performance, Obiri Boahen pointed to the absence of military deployment at polling stations as a critical factor.
“I believe that if soldiers were deployed, the story would have been different in about fifty to sixty constituencies,” he suggested.
He also criticized the delegate system used in the party’s internal elections, arguing that it hindered the party’s progress. He called for reforms, including an expansion of the electoral college to allow all card-bearing members to vote.
Additionally, Obiri Boahen accused the party’s leadership of ignoring constructive criticism from voices like his, which he believes could have steered the party toward a better outcome.
Election Results
On December 9, 2024, Electoral Commission Chairperson Jean Mensa declared John Mahama, the NDC’s presidential candidate, the winner of the election with 6,328,397 votes. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia of the NPP received 4,657,304 votes.
In the parliamentary elections, the NDC achieved a commanding majority with over 183 seats, while the NPP managed to secure just over 80 seats—a result Obiri Boahen described as “abnormal” and indicative of the need for introspection and reform within the party.
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