The Executive Director of Global InfoAnalytics, Mussa Dankwah, has shed light on the key political figures widely blamed for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) defeat in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking on Joy FM’s Super Morning Show, Dankwah shared insights from a detailed post-election survey conducted by his research firm.
According to him, the initial phase of the study allowed respondents to freely mention who they believed was responsible for the NPP’s loss and why. The team then used the most frequently mentioned names to design a more structured, close-ended survey.
“We wanted to find out which personalities people would assign blame to before heading to the field. From that study, we shortlisted the names most frequently mentioned and used them in our final survey,” Dankwah explained.
The survey results revealed that former President Nana Akufo-Addo topped the list, with 68% of respondents citing his administration’s performance as a key factor in the party’s electoral defeat.
Dankwah highlighted widespread public frustration with the President’s perceived dismissive attitude, particularly his controversial comments in the Ashanti Region, where he suggested voters could support someone else if they disagreed with his choices.
“Many were disappointed with his refusal to heed calls from within his own party to make changes in government. His disregard for traditional authorities also did not sit well with the electorate,” Dankwah added.
The report also identified former Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta as the second-most blamed figure, with 40% of respondents attributing the NPP’s defeat to his role in the management of the economy.
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the party’s 2024 presidential candidate and then-Vice President, was cited by 37% of respondents, who felt his campaign failed to inspire enough confidence.
Other key figures mentioned include Dr. Matthew Opoku-Prempeh (33%), various government appointees (32%), and Members of Parliament (25%). Kennedy Agyapong, who contested the NPP flagbearer race but did not lead the party into the general election, was held responsible by 9% of respondents.
Dankwah also challenged the widely held belief that voter apathy in the NPP’s strongholds was the primary cause of the defeat, arguing that the data tells a different story.
“Mathematically, that analysis is flawed,” he said. “Our post-election data indicates that nearly 20% of self-identified NPP supporters did not vote for the party in 2024. Of those who initially planned to vote for Bawumia, 17% switched or abstained on election day — with 14% ultimately voting for Mahama.”
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