At the time I lost the major portfolio I vied for while on university campus,—I had contested three elections, winning one, which was an internal poll, and losing two others, one collegiate and one general.
Mawudem Yawli Adzaklo, then President of the Science Students’ Association (SCISA) and a fellow ‘student activist’ (as we preferred to be called instead of ‘student politician’), shared something with me that initially sounded amusing but true, based on my personal conviction and observation.
He said when one loses an election, everyone around them becomes a suspect for their defeat. Due to the mere fact of losing, they assume everyone, including family and friends, voted against them. At that moment, no constructive advice resonates until the person recovers from the loss.
I anticipated the NPP’s defeat in the 2024 general elections. Given the stakes involved and considering the campaign costs and humiliating loss, I refrained from commenting earlier, knowing it wouldn’t be well-received. Now that they’ve had time to reflect, I believe sharing my analysis will be better tolerated by the rank and file of the party.
After the NPP’s defeat, the party established a committee to investigate the factors that contributed to their poor performance in the elections. The Prof. Oquaye Committee has completed its work, but the party leadership is refusing to make the findings public. As a result, portions of the report are being leaked to the public through anonymous sources.
Before the committee was even formed, many people had already identified some of the reasons that led to the NPP’s defeat. Prof. Ransford Gyampo of the University of Ghana’s Political Science Department for instance, had stated on TV3’s KeyPoints that, the party didn’t need to form a committee to investigate their defeat, as his own analysis had already identified the contributing factors.
Interestingly, some of the leaked portions of the Oquaye report confirmed the observations made by these political analysts. Regardless of whether the party releases the full report, I want to discuss the role certain key elements within the NPP played in their own defeat.
When the NDC won the elections, I asked Abraham Amaliba, the party’s Director of Conflict Resolution and Acting Director-General of the National Road Safety Authority, a question: “If you were President Mahama, would you have considered appointing Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and Kennedy Agyapong, given their ‘contribution’ to your party’s victory?” The question seemed absurd so Amaliba was taken aback, as evidenced by his shocked response, questioning why the President would consider offering an appointment to these individuals. Whether they would have accepted such an offer is a separate issue.
I asked Amaliba the question due to a previous conversation we’d had. I reminded him that, with just over two months to the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential primary on November 4, 2023, I had interviewed him, and he made a notable remark. Initially, I thought it was just a political jab, but it turned out to be a serious matter for the NDC.
The NPP presidential primary was preceded by the super delegates’ conference on August 26, 2023, which reduced the number of delegates from ten to five. During the interview, I asked Mr. Amaliba how the NDC planned to tackle Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia if he became the NPP’s flag bearer, given that the odds were in his favour as the establishment’s candidate.
Amaliba told me that countering Dr. Bawumia would be easy for the NDC. He said they wouldn’t need a special campaign message; instead, they would use Dr. Bawumia’s own words against him. According to Amaliba, the NDC would mount public address systems on vehicles and play recordings of the then Vice President’s comments, allowing Ghanaians to compare his words with the reality they were facing. At the time, I thought it sounded amusing.
Amaliba specifically said, “Dr. Bawumia is actually the one who can easily be beaten. All you need to do is not campaign, but play his pre-power statements on a loudspeaker on a van, and it will be annoying to the people. For instance, playing his promise to ‘give every constituency one million dollars’ on repeat. He is the one easy to beat, that alone will damage him.”
When Alan John Kwadwo Kyerematen resigned from the NPP, the main battle was between Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, the then MP for Assin Central, and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the then Vice President. Interestingly, the NDC implemented Amaliba’s strategy when Bawumia eventually became the party’s flag bearer, albeit in a different way.
They used Bawumia’s own words to “damage” him during the campaign, just as Amaliba had predicted. The NDC also utilised comments from Ken Agyapong, who was Bawumia’s main contender in the NPP presidential primary, to further undermine the NPP. During the electioneering period, it was clear that the NDC ran a well-organized campaign, with effective communication, media engagement, door-to-door outreach, and mini rallies, as well as meetings with interest groups. However, the role of the “Dr. Bawumia once said…” narrative in the NDC’s victory cannot be overstated.
Their ads featured the Vice President’s comments on the relationship between exchange rates and the economy. They also highlighted his criticism of John Mahama, questioning why he couldn’t implement, as Vice President, the ideas he advocated for, during the 2012 election campaign, yet expected Ghanaians to vote for him as President to implement them.
Furthermore, the ads pointed out the apparent contradiction in Dr. Bawumia’s narrative, where he later claimed in 2024 that as Vice President, he had no manifesto and couldn’t have acted, adding that if he had done everything as Vice President, he would have had nothing to do if he became President.
The NDC also targeted Ken Agyapong, using his comments to further damage the NPP. Although these comments were made during his contest against Dr. Bawumia for the party’s flag bearer position, many Ghanaians could relate to them because they weren’t just empty propaganda. The NDC felt that combining Ken Agyapong’s comments with Dr. Bawumia’s statements would add fuel to the fire and cause more harm to the NPP and they did exactly that.
The NDC also highlighted the numerous lectures given by Dr. Bawumia, who had served as Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, at the Central University before he became Vice President. During those lectures, he discussed how Ghana could build a strong economy by establishing better indices to curb the cedi’s depreciation. However, during the campaign, Ken Agyapong’s comments criticising Dr. Bawumia for not living up to his promises at the time they were in opposition were used against him. The NDC pointed out the contrast between Dr. Bawumia’s academic ideals as preached in his lectures and the then state of the economy, which many Ghanaians perceived as being in a dire condition.
Ken Agyapong questioned how Dr. Bawumia could inherit an economy with an exchange rate of US$1 to GHC 4.00, only to see it depreciate to GHC 17.00. He also expressed concern about the rampant corruption and poor leadership in the country, which had dashed the hopes of many. According to him, some individuals had to pay large sums of money to secure employment after completing school. Every time Ken Agyapong’s comments appeared in NDC ads or the phrase “Dr. Bawumia once said…” popped up on screen, I couldn’t help but think of my interview with Amaliba.
The ads, as we all witnessed, had a significant impact on the campaign. Whenever I saw them on TV, one question came to mind: “If these individuals knew their words would be used against them, would they have said the same things?”
When I initially asked lawyer Amaliba about this during our interview, he declined to respond, finding the question unusual. However, given the outcome, I revisited our earlier conversation and asked him: “Is there any advice for your party, considering what happened in the previous administration and how you used the NPP’s own words against them?”
According to Amaliba, “some of the reasons why they (NPP) lost [the election] was arrogance on the part of their appointees. Some were also not truthful, and some were vindictive, like the Attorney-General’s (Godfred Yeboah Dame) style of prosecution. So, I expect that appointees of this administration will learn from what happened to the NPP, where their conduct led to their defeat. If we see ourselves as representing the people, we should be tolerant and inclusive, carrying the people along.”
He further advised his colleague appointees that, “they should be humble in government, recognising that the positions they hold are not their personal properties They should discharge their responsibilities with candor, respect, and honesty towards the people, and tell the truth.”
The 2024 elections served as a stark reminder of the power of words and accountability in leadership. The NDC’s strategic use of Dr. Bawumia and Ken Agyapong’s past statements against them proved to be a game-changer in the history of Ghana’s democratic dispensation, resonating with voters who felt let down by the NPP’s performance.
The act of reminding the public of opposition figures’ past utterances isn’t new, but using video recordings to create campaign ads is an approach we’ve never seen. Abraham Amaliba’s earlier assertion that the NDC would leverage the NPP’s own words against them turned out to be prophetic because it was eventually carried out.
As the new administration settles in, Amaliba’s advice to appointees to be humble, honest, and respectful in their dealings with the people, to me, isn’t a bad call. It serves as a reminder that the positions they hold are not personal properties, but rather a sacred trust to serve the people.
As I reflect on the fallout of the elections, I am reminded of the irony that Dr. Bawumia and Ken Agyapong’s own words, which were used so effectively against them, had earlier led me to half-jokingly expect that President Mahama would offer them appointments in his administration. Of course, that was never a realistic prospect. However, it highlights just how impactful their words were in shaping the narrative of the campaign and contributing to the victory of the NDC.
In the end, it was their own words that came back to haunt them, a testament to the enduring power of words in politics and life as a whole. This unexpected turn of events serves as a reminder that, in the court of public opinion, one’s own words can be both a powerful sword and a double-edged one.
My final words, as I conclude this piece offering advice to the NDC as they assume power and serving as a reflection for the NPP on their tenure, I expect the ruling party, as they bask in the glory of their electoral victory, to heed these words of wisdom and avoid the pitfalls that befell the NPP.
Only time will tell if the new administration will take heed of this advice and govern with the humility, candor, and respect the people deserve. Nonetheless, one thing is certain: the electorate will be watching closely, and words will continue to have consequences.
The writer, Felix Anim-Appau, works with the online unit at Media General. The views expressed in this piece are his personal opinions and do not reflect, in any form or shape, those of the Media General Group, where he works. His email address is [email protected], and he can be found on X as @platofintegrity
