Dr. Bryan Acheampong, a flagbearer hopeful in the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) upcoming presidential primaries, has blamed Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections, citing what he described as poor economic management and the failure to settle arrears owed to personnel of the Nation Builders Corps (NABCO).
Addressing party delegates in the Kwadaso Constituency, Dr. Acheampong enumerated several factors he believed contributed to the NPP’s electoral loss.
He specifically accused the former Vice President and his office of neglecting the plight of over 100,000 NABCO beneficiaries, saying the failure to pay their outstanding allowances severely damaged the party’s electoral fortunes.
According to him, the former administration under President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo had entrusted Dr. Bawumia with the responsibility of managing the economy and strengthening the local currency, but the results were disappointing.
“President Akufo-Addo brought Dr. Bawumia to stabilize the cedi and make life better for Ghanaians,” Dr. Acheampong told delegates.
“We came into office when the dollar was around Ghc4 cedis; by the time we were leaving, it had risen to Ghc17 cedis.
“We gave you (Bawumia) a home match to run the economy and win the election for yourself, but you failed, taking the dollar from GH₵4 to GH₵17,” he emphasized.
He further dismissed suggestions that a shortage of fertilizer contributed to the party’s defeat, saying such claims were baseless.
“They say fertilizer issues caused our loss. But when we lost in the Subin Constituency, do people plant maize there? Kwadaso, how many people farm maize here? We even lost over 20,000 votes at Circle, do they plant maize there?” he quizzed.
The Abetifi MP urged party members to focus on identifying the real causes of the electoral defeat rather than what he described as misleading propaganda.
“Kwadaso is a mature constituency; we know what cost us the election, but not all issues can be discussed in public,” he added.
Source: www.Kumasimail/Kwadwo Owusu
