In recent developments, the Director of Communications for the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, dismissed the National Democratic Congress (NDC) election victory, slammed new government decisions, and expressed optimism about the party’s future.
He expressed confidence in the NPP’s ability to stage a political comeback despite its defeat in the 2024 general elections.
According to Ahiagbah, the NPP is a strong, mass-supported political party that will recover and return to power. He noted that while the party is still reflecting on the election results, its support base remains intact, and a comeback is inevitable.
“The new patriotic party is an attractive political party. Is a mass supported party, ordinarily, if you look at it as the mass base or supporters across this country. And so the party would come back”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Director of Communications
On the question of leadership, he maintained that the party’s internal structures would determine its next flagbearer. While some political observers speculate that Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia could lead the party again, Ahiagbah emphasized that no decision has been made.
“On the question of who leads the party, I think the party will determine that when the time comes but naturally, you know, the expectation will be to bring back the flag bearer who led us, but that decision rests with the party to make”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Director of Communications
He referenced historical precedents, including former President John Agyekum Kufuor’s successful comeback in 2000 after losing in 1996 and Nana Akufo-Addo’s persistence from 2008 until his victory in 2016.
He suggested that while history indicates a pattern likely to repeat itself with Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the ultimate decision rests with the party’s delegates.
Confidence in Breaking the ‘8’
Despite the election outcome, Ahiagbah insisted that the NPP had valid reasons to believe they could “break the 8” and secure a third consecutive term.
He highlighted the party’s strong campaign strategy, extensive voter outreach, and policy proposals as evidence that they had a solid chance of winning.
He also indicated that they expected results mirroring those of the Nigerian election rather than those of the UK and the US since those countries were far off in distance and political climate.
“The vice president did something no candidate had done before, he visited every single constituency in the country,” Ahiagbah said. “We took our message directly to the people and admitted the challenges we faced. More importantly, we presented concrete solutions to move Ghana forward.”
He acknowledged the economic hardships but stressed that the NPP had a clear roadmap for recovery. “We acknowledged the difficulties, but we had a solid plan to get Ghana back on track,” he explained. “Our economic recovery plan was realistic, and we believed Ghanaians would buy into it.”
“On the back of a recovering economy, we thought that that would be a good sell and a good proposition for Ghanaians to buy into, but unfortunately, it didn’t pan out the way we envisaged”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Director of Communications
“We were confident in the product we were putting out, and that was where our hope was,” he added, attributing the party’s loss to low voter turnout, particularly in NPP strongholds.
He emphasized the harm that low voter turnout caused the party, as it does any party anywhere in the world. “In any election, when voter participation drops in your strong areas, the incumbent party suffers,” he admitted.
Despite the setback, he remains optimistic that the party can rebuild and return stronger. “We are confident that we will build on our momentum,” he said, describing the ideas the party presented to Ghanaians as “progressive” and ones that would benefit the NDC if they adopt and implement them.
Election Defeat: Economic Challenges, Not NDC Strength
Ahiagbah downplayed the significance of the NDC’s victory, arguing that the opposition did not win due to extraordinary performance but rather because of the “economic difficulties” that affected “voter sentiment”.
Labeling the NPP’s 2016 victory as “significant” he asserted that that of the NDC in 2024 was due to general economic challenges and voter dissatisfaction, not their strength or tact.
“This is nothing extraordinary, nothing new,” he remarked.
“Governments across the world faced economic headwinds after COVID-19, and Ghana was no exception. The difficult but necessary policies we implemented to stabilize the economy created dissatisfaction among some voters.”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Director of Communications
He pointed out that while the NDC made parliamentary gains, their success was not as overwhelming as some have suggested.
“Look at our parliamentary numbers, there isn’t anything extraordinary. The NDC was not coming from a position of extreme weakness,” he said.
He further explained that the NPP’s administration had to make tough economic decisions, including the Domestic Debt Exchange Program (DDEP), which, though necessary, was unpopular.
“Most of the difficult decisions we had to take were not because of mismanagement but because of global circumstances,” he asserted.
He also emphasized that ruling parties often face electoral setbacks when they implement policies that, while beneficial in the long run, are unpopular in the short term.
“As a government, we suffered a lot of headwinds, and the opposition always benefits from that. That is what happened here, not some extraordinary performance by the NDC.”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Director of Communications
NDC’s Dismissal of Public Servants Unconstitutional
Beyond the election results, Ahiagbah also criticized the NDC government’s decision to dismiss public servants appointed by the previous administration, calling it unconstitutional and a “dangerous precedent”.
“The constitution is clear, an elected president’s term is valid until the next president is sworn in. So, President Akufo-Addo had full authority to make appointments up until the last day of his term. These dismissals are illegal and set a dangerous precedent.”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Director of Communications
He warned that such actions could create governance instability in the future. “What happens if a new government in 2028 decides to dishonor decisions made by the previous government before the election?” he asked. “This is a slippery slope that threatens our democracy.”
Ahiagbah also cautioned that these dismissals could discourage investors and affect Ghana’s economic stability.
“We are sending the wrong signal to the international business community. Investors need certainty. If a government’s decisions can be arbitrarily overturned, foreign direct investment will decline.”
Richard Ahiagbah, NPP Director of Communications
He provided evidence of ongoing dismissals, citing a case involving an employee at the National Lottery Authority (NLA) who had been asked not to report to work, even though he had not yet received an official termination letter and thoroughly condemned the new government’s dismissal of public servants in this manner.
Richard Ahiagbah remains optimistic about the NPP’s future. He believes the NPP can rebuild and return to power with the right strategy and leadership.
As the political landscape evolves, the NPP faces critical decisions about its future. Whether the party can recover successfully and position itself for a strong comeback remains to be seen.
However, Ahiagbah’s message is clear: the party is not defeated and is ready to fight for the future.
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