Andrew Atariwini, the Deputy Communications Director for the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in the Upper East Region, has stated that while the eight-year electoral cycle, which has historically limited political parties in the Fourth Republic, posed a significant challenge to the party, it was not the only issue. Following the NPP’s loss in the recently concluded general elections, he acknowledged the party’s gradual improvement in popular votes over the years in the region, though he noted that the NPP struggled to secure seats.
“I think that a lot of things went wrong. The region is not characteristically NPP, except to say that they should check the data; we keep improving year on year in terms of the popular vote. It is not something that we are too surprised about,” he said.
He revealed that while some constituencies, such as Builsa South, appeared promising for the NPP initially, the outcome was disappointing, leaving the party with questions about what went wrong. The most critical issue, according to Mr. Atariwini, was leadership. He pointed to a loss of balance at the regional leadership level, which he believes played a pivotal role in the party’s defeat in key areas, particularly the central and western zones. He emphasized that the NPP must confront the truth about its leadership shortcomings, as avoiding these difficult conversations would prevent the party from healing and improving in future elections.
He stressed that the NPP could not afford to be overly diplomatic in its self-assessment. The failure to address leadership issues honestly, he argued, would hinder the party’s recovery and the efforts of its loyal supporters.
“I believe that, number one, and it’s the most critical, is leadership. Leadership from the regional level. The regional leadership, I think, lost their balance, and that is exactly why we lost this election in the central and western zones. At this particular point in time, if we want to be too diplomatic about the matters, the pain will not leave our hearts, and the work of party loyalists will not be at its best. We need to come out of pretence,” he added.
Source: A1Radioonline.com | 101.1MHz | Gifty Eyram Kudiabor | Bolgatanga
