Bawumia Admits NPP’s Shortcomings, Apologises to Ghanaians

The New Patriotic Party’s 2024 flagbearer and former vice president, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has publicly admitted that the previous NPP administration did not get everything right while it was in power.

Speaking to NPP’s supporters in the UK, Dr Bawumia expressed regret for the mistakes made over the years and said that important lessons had been learned.

“As Chairman Benelu also said, we didn’t get everything right. NPP did a lot of work, there’s no doubt about it, but we did not get everything right.

“We got quite a few things wrong, and I think that on my own behalf, on behalf of the party and the government, I apologise to all of you for us not getting things right that we should have gotten.” 

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former Vice President and NPP’s 2024 Presidential Candidate

His comments represent one of the few times a prominent NPP leader has publicly acknowledged governance shortcomings or policy failures during the party’s two-term administration, which has come under increasing fire for economic mismanagement, inflation, and the buildup of public debt.

However, Dr. Bawumia was upbeat about the party’s prospects and reaffirmed his conviction that the party would regain control in 2028.

According to him, Ghana’s political history makes it challenging for first-time presidential candidates, such as John Mahama of the NDC in 2012 and possibly the NDC candidate in 2028, to win elections handily without any prior political experience.

“There’s a sense that in 2028, NDC is going to bring a candidate for the first time. I believe we will have an advantage, all things being equal, over that new candidate.

“I believe that if by the grace of God, we have another opportunity, we will get many things right because we’ve learned the lessons of where we are going.” 

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former Vice President and NPP’s 2024 Presidential Candidate

NDC’s Struggles in Government 

In addition, Dr. Bawumia criticized the National Democratic Congress’s (NDC) alleged use of populist propaganda during its opposition, stating that the party’s governance would soon reveal the shortcomings of its campaign rhetoric.

According to him, the NDC overstated its cost-of-living relief pledges, particularly with regard to necessities like cement and kenkey.

However, Dr. Bawumia claims that within a few months of taking office, those assurances are already being shown to be unreal.

“They [NDC] made so many promises and told a lot of stories about what they were going to do. And they’ve now come into government. It’s not easy to do propaganda when you are in government. It’s very easy to do propaganda in opposition.

“They said that when they come, they’ll bring down the cost of kenkey and the cost of living. I don’t know—have you noticed the reduction in kenkey prices in Ghana? No. Prices are rather going up. Whether you are looking at cement or other things, they are not coming down.” 

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, former Vice President and NPP’s 2024 Presidential Candidate

His remarks point to what political analysts may consider the NPP’s planned strategy for the 2028 elections: owning up to mistakes, expressing regret, and then portraying the NDC as unable to handle the actual demands of governance.

In light of the widespread voter agitation, the speech also emphasises an effort to reframe political discourse around accountability and credibility.

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