The Chairman of the Communications Directorate of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s campaign, Nana Akomea, has insisted that the former vice president’s candidature was not the main reason for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) defeat in the 2024 general elections.

Speaking on Adom FM’s Dwaso Nsem, Nana Akomea argued that if Dr Bawumia had been the decisive factor behind the loss, he would not be contesting the party’s 2026 presidential primaries.

The former Okaikoi South MP cited several independent pre-election assessments, including reports by the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Afrobarometer, Global Info Analytics, the NPP’s own post-election review committee chaired by Professor Mike Oquaye, and studies by the Konrad Adenauer Foundation.

According to him, these assessments consistently identified economic hardship and declining living standards as the dominant causes of voter dissatisfaction, rather than Dr Bawumia’s candidacy.

“I was present when the Oquaye Committee presented its report. None of these surveys suggested that Bawumia was the problem because if any of them did, I don’t think Bawumia would have contested again,” he stated.

Dr Bawumia lost the 2024 presidential election to President John Dramani Mahama, who secured 6,328,397 votes, representing 56.55 percent, compared to Dr Bawumia’s 4,657,304 votes, or 41.61 percent.

The National Democratic Congress (NDC) also reclaimed the presidency and won a commanding majority in Parliament, securing over 180 seats, including several constituencies traditionally considered NPP strongholds.

Following the defeat, the NPP has largely attributed its loss to voter apathy and low turnout among its support base.

With the party’s presidential primaries scheduled for January 31, 2026, Nana Akomea, who is also a former Managing Director of the State Transport Corporation (STC), maintained that Dr Bawumia deserves a second chance, citing his intensive campaign efforts.

“We all saw the campaign Bawumia ran. It reignited hope that we stood a chance in the 2024 election, even though most surveys showed things would be tough. Because of the hard work he demonstrated, the delegates will vote for him again,” he added.