Political risk analyst and economist Dr. Theo Acheampong says the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) lost the 2024 election not because of religious dynamics, but because of economic failure.

“They couldn’t break the 8 because they broke the economy,” he declared on Joy News’ Newsfile Express on Saturday, May 3.

Dr. Acheampong dismissed claims that religious identity played a role in the party’s defeat.

“The evidence on the religious argument is complete hogwash,” he said firmly.

“You can slice and dice the data how you want, but you come to a very firm and simple conclusion. The NPP lost the 2024 election not because of religion, but because of the economy.”

He pointed to a long list of economic missteps, including the domestic debt exchange programme, the unpopular E-Levy, and ballooning inflation.

“At one point on Newsfile back in 2022, I was one of the first to call for the sacking of Ken Ofori-Atta. His position had become untenable.”

According to Dr. Acheampong, the damage was self-inflicted.

“These were the issues that sent the elephant back into the bush. It had nothing to do with the fact that Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is Muslim.”

Analysing the election results, he said the data shows that the NPP lost ground consistently across all regions, not just in Christian-dominated areas.

“If they had listened and actually run the economy better, especially after COVID, when the warning signs were there, they would have broken the eight.”

He echoed Dr. Bawumia’s own comments during the campaign, saying the Vice President admitted part of the loss was due to the cost-of-living crisis and “the arrogance of power.”

Dr. Acheampong pointed out that even the NDC presented 215 Christian candidates, and 74 of them lost.

“So what is the religious argument here?” he asked. “When people are hungry, when inflation hits over 54%, it’s not about whether someone is Christian or Muslim. That doesn’t put food on the table.”

He insisted the NPP’s failure was foreseeable. “The warning signs were there. They had to make a course correction, or Ghanaians were going to punish them. And they did.”

He also addressed the lingering anger within the party.

“You can sense it even on Dr. Bawumia’s thank-you tour. There’s still pain, there’s still anger at the grassroots and even among the party hierarchy. People are unhappy with how the country was managed.”

The economist said the emergence of new aspirants is telling.

“Just this week, we saw a post from Dr. Yaw Adutwum, which was later deleted, hinting at a possible run. Others may follow.”

He believes the appetite for change within the party is strong, but warned that it must be rooted in substance.

“This change can’t be based on religion. They must address the real issues that sent them to opposition.”

Dr. Acheampong concluded with a blunt message: “They have to own up and apologise to Ghanaians.”