Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 presidential candidate, has stated that the party’s defeat in the general elections was largely due to low voter turnout from its own supporters.
Speaking at the party’s National Thank You Tour on April 23, 2025, Dr. Bawumia expressed appreciation for the hard work of party executives and grassroots members, but noted that internal issues were the real reason for their loss. He revealed that over 2.1 million NPP supporters who voted in the 2020 elections did not cast their ballots in 2024, while the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) increased its votes by 115,000.
He dismissed claims that his religion played a role in the party’s defeat, stating that he was chosen as flagbearer in a fair contest among ten candidates, despite being the only Muslim. He further argued that in many constituencies, he secured more votes than Christian parliamentary candidates, citing Assin South as an example where he outperformed Rev. John Ntim Fordjour.
Dr. Bawumia emphasized that the defeat should not be blamed on religious bias but rather on internal challenges that need to be addressed to strengthen the party’s future chances.