The Deputy Communications Officer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Ernest Owusu Bempah, has claimed that over two million members of the party chose not to vote in the 2024 general elections due to the selection of what he described as the wrong presidential candidate.
In an interview on Oyerepa TV, Mr. Owusu Bempah, who previously served as Communications Director for Ghana Gas during the Akufo-Addo administration, stated that the party’s decision to field then Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as the candidate was a key factor in the disappointing voter turnout among NPP supporters.
He claimed that many NPP members felt disillusioned by the leadership’s choice, leading them to abstain from voting.
“For the first time, I met a taxi driver who is a member of NPP who told me that he voted for the NDC in the 2024 election, he showed me his party card, and the reason is that we didn’t take the right candidate for him to come and vote for,” he said.
Although he provided no scientific data to support his claim, Owusu Bempah asserted that as many as 2.1 million NPP members refrained from voting due to their disapproval of the presidential candidate.
“Go down there with a hidden camera and ask the ordinary people why they refused to vote. 2.1 million decided not to go and vote, 2.1 million, do you think it is a joke? NPP party base, supporters refused to vote, do you know what that means?” he argued.
He also criticized the party’s leadership for failing to listen to the views of its members during the candidate selection process, which he suggested contributed to the low turnout. “Let Prof Mike Oquaye’s Committee bring out their report, and that is where we will hear things,” he added.
Owusu Bempah’s comments come as the NPP looks to rebuild its support base following what many have viewed as a poor performance in the 2024 elections.
Party leaders are expected to review the election results and assess strategies for repositioning the party, with Prof. Mike Oquaye’s Committee tasked with studying the elections and providing recommendations.