Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh, popularly known as NAPO and the running mate for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the 2024 general election, has identified internal party challenges as the main reason behind the NPP’s recent electoral loss.
The NPP failed to secure a third consecutive term in the December 7, 2024, general election, with the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) achieving a decisive victory. This result paves the way for John Mahama’s return to the presidency.
In an interview with Umaru Sanda, NAPO highlighted long-standing governance issues within the NPP as a critical factor that undermined the party’s performance at the polls. He contended that the defeat was not merely due to economic difficulties but was deeply rooted in unresolved internal conflicts and organizational flaws within the party.
NAPO stressed that these governance problems have been a persistent issue for the NPP, referencing past instances where the party had to learn valuable lessons from its mistakes. He stated, “MPs were begging people to go and vote, but they said they were not going to vote. That is not about economic mismanagement; it is about a deep-seated problem the party hasn’t addressed.”
He further explained, “You can’t imagine yourself to be a master of everything at every time. There are certain events that you may not be able to do anything about, and it will hit you. It is not just the NPP that has suffered that.”
Reflecting on the party’s history, NAPO recalled the 1992 elections, when the NPP had zero representation in parliament. “The country and the party learned. Because in the said year, the presidential and parliamentary elections when the party lost, they wrote a stolen verdict and they decided that they were going to boycott parliament,” he said.
He continued, “It was a party decision. Subsequently, that same party met and said they shouldn’t have boycotted parliament. They said it was better for us to go with the few seats we won than to boycott. So, the party changed, and the country changed.”
NAPO’s remarks underscore the need for the NPP to address its internal governance issues to regain public trust and improve its prospects in future elections. By acknowledging past mistakes and striving for organizational reform, the party aims to rebuild its foundation and enhance its effectiveness in governance.
