NPP ignored public concerns and was punished for it- Boakye Antwi
Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Subin, Eugene Boakye Antwi, says the New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost the 2024 general elections was largely due to the party’s failure to listen to the concerns of Ghanaians
In an interview with Umaru Sanda Amadu on Face to Face, aired on Channel One TV on Tuesday, July 1, Boakye Antwi acknowledged that the party’s electoral defeat did not come as a surprise to him and other members who had foreseen growing public discontent.
“I’m not worried because some of us anticipated it [2024 electoral defeat]. If you fail to listen to people, they punish you. So, as politicians, we must constantly be listening and hearing people out. And that is what we failed to do,” he said.
Reflecting on the Akufo-Addo administration, the former MP said its most productive period was between 2018 and 2020, prior to the COVID-19 pandemic. He attributed this to the political motivation of seeking a second term, which fostered more discipline and cooperation within government.
“We have to be very frank with ourselves, the best years of Akufo-Addo’s 8 years [tenure] were 2018, 2020, before COVID-19 struck. Those were his best years. In your first term, you are expected to be voted for the second term, so you’re working towards your second term.”
“So there’s more cooperation, and because you know you have to go and face the electorate again, you are careful of certain mistakes,” he explained.
Mr. Boakye Antwi noted that performance declined significantly during the President’s second term, partly due to the absence of electoral accountability.
“But the second term, because you’re not going to contest again, I think all hell broke loose and it cost us,” he added.
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