Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokore and coordinator for Dr. Bawumia’s campaign
The New Patriotic Party (NPP) Member of Parliament for Effiduase Asokore and a coordinator for Dr. Bawumia’s campaign, Dr. Nana Ayew Afriye, has strongly advised the party’s rank and file to reject the narrative suggesting that their 2024 flag-bearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was solely responsible for their defeat at the polls.
Speaking to party delegates in the Asokwa Constituency on Tuesday evening during a visit by Samira Bawumia, the wife of the former Vice-President, Dr. Afriye dismissed any attempt to single out Dr. Bawumia for blame as a “lazy way of examining the matters.”
He asserted that the underlying causes of the defeat are already well-known by the party’s grassroots members.
Understanding the Causes of Defeat:
Dr. Afriye noted that, in his engagements across the country, delegates have consistently acknowledged the issues that negatively impacted the party’s performance and have offered concrete solutions.
“Every delegate in the NPP knows why we lost the 2024 elections,” the MP stated, emphasizing that the reasons cited go beyond the candidate himself.
These issues include significant policy decisions and failures in local engagement:
The introduction of the E-levy (Electronic Transfer Levy).
The imposition of taxes on betting and other economic difficulties.
The failure of some government appointees to provide necessary assistance to needy party members when they had the opportunity.
Apathy and Grassroots Challenges:
Dr. Afriye highlighted that the party’s challenges were deeply rooted in various constituencies, with issues unique to each locality.
While he acknowledged that some party members, upon recognizing these issues, worked diligently to resolve them, others unfortunately succumbed to apathy.
The Effiduase Asokore MP stated that the issues faced by the party in these constituencies have been emerging daily since the defeat.
He found it illogical to hold the flag-bearer accountable for hyperlocal problems.
“It is just unthinkable to blame Dr. Bawumia, who may not have physically visited your specific polling station, electoral area, or community to identify the issues, and then seek to correct the same. The responsibility is widespread,” Dr. Afriye stressed.
Unified Way Forward:
Dr. Ayew Afriye asserted that, having comprehensively identified the underlying issues that characterized the 2024 election defeat, the NPP is now in a better position to initiate corrective measures and unify the party moving forward.
He posited that the party requires a level-headed, sober, and unifying figure to effectively lead these crucial correctional efforts and initiatives.
Dr. Afriye therefore proposed that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is the best person to lead the charge.
“With the issues we’ve unravelled as a party since our defeat, I believe with every fibre in me that Dr. Bawumia is the best person to lead and deal with these issues, including the apathy we suffered nationwide, and ultimately to win political power for us as flag-bearer in the upcoming 2028 general election,” Dr. Ayew stated convincingly.
Source: Ghana/otecfmghana.com/ Michael Ofosu-Afriyie, Kumasi.
