Political risk analyst and economist Dr. Theo Acheampong says the emergence of new contenders to Dr Mahamudu Bawumia is a direct sign of deep cracks within the opposition NPP following its 2024 electoral defeat.

Speaking on Newsfile Express on Saturday, May 3, he pointed to a wave of frustration brewing within the party, suggesting that figures like former Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum are testing the waters because of unresolved internal discontent.

“I think this week, we saw a post from Dr. Yaw Adutwum, which was subsequently deleted, more or less intimating that maybe he’s putting his hat in the race,” Dr. Acheampong revealed.

“That tells you something. And there are others too.”

Asked if Dr Yaw Adutwum looked like a credible challenger, he replied, “I think he has what it takes. I’m sure there are other people, too, who have what it takes. I’m sure Dr. Bawumia would want to go again. It’s not for me to judge. It’s for the people that belong to the party to make that decision.”

But for him, the emergence of alternative voices is not just about ambition—it reflects a lingering bitterness that has yet to be addressed.

“The fact that other people are even intimating or putting in a bid for a run, and the fact that these issues are happening on the [Bawumia] Thank You Tour, shows me that there’s still a lot of anger and there’s still a lot of pain,” he said.

“And they want to change things. But the way you want to change things is not because of religion. You’ve got to fundamentally address the issues that took you to opposition.”

Dr. Acheampong didn’t mince words on what, in his view, caused the party’s downfall.

“The NPP lost the 2024 election not because of religion, but because of the economy. It is as simple as that,” he declared.

“The evidence on the religious argument is just complete hogwash. You can slice and dice the data how you want, but you come to a very firm and simple conclusion.”

He was blunt in dismissing arguments that blamed the Vice President’s Muslim identity for the NPP’s loss.

“It cannot be that it is because they put a candidate who had a different religious tag than those in other parts of the country,” he said.

“When people are hungry, facing cost of living pressures and inflation over 54%, it’s not about whether one is Muslim or Christian. That doesn’t put food on the table.”

Citing economic policy failures such as the domestic debt exchange and the unpopular E-Levy, he said the ruling party ignored clear signs of public dissatisfaction.

“I was among the best people to actually call for the sacking of Ken Ofori-Atta, because his position had become untenable,” he said.

“It is those issues that sent the elephant back into the bush again.”

Dr. Acheampong even referenced former Vice President Bawumia’s own admissions.

“He said it himself—it was partly to do with the cost of living crisis, and partly to do with the arrogance of power. To borrow the same words.”

He urged a closer look at electoral data to debunk the religious narrative, stating that the NPP lost votes across all regions regardless of religious demographics, while the NDC made gains almost everywhere.

“Even in the NDC, they presented 215 Christians, and out of that number, 74 lost,” he pointed out. “So religion didn’t determine the outcome there either.”

For him, the party’s internal troubles stretch beyond statistics.

He said Dr Bawumia’s ongoing thank-you tour has laid bare just how fragile the party’s unity remains.

“The candidate did not take the other ones along. And they are trying to convey a message of unity this time around. But what we are seeing on the tour also showed that, look, there is still pain and there is still anger, amongst the hierarchy and the grassroots.”

He was clear about what the NPP needs to do next.

“They have to own up and apologise to Ghanaians,” he said. “The warning signs have been there throughout.”