New Patriotic Party Needs Deliverance
The New Patriotic Part (NPP)y needs some kind of deliverance to be able to face defeats at election. Since 1992, the NPP, has exhibited a disturbing pattern – an outright refusal to accept defeat at the polls gracefully. With each electoral cycle, the party has cried foul, leveling allegations of rigging and voter suppression against the incumbent government, even when independent observers declare the polls largely free and fair. This reluctance to embrace the will of the people has cast a dark shadow over Ghana’s democratic credentials.
The 2024 general elections marked another instance of the NPP’s descent into self-denial. Despite the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) securing a resounding victory across most regions, the NPP played the victim card once again. This time, they claimed that their supporters, especially in the Ashanti region, didn’t turn out to vote in large numbers, conveniently ignoring the NDC’s impressive nationwide voter turnout.
However, the NPP’s desperate attempt to discredit the 2024 results was undone by their own illicit machinations in the Ashanti Region, their traditional stronghold. Vigilant NDC polling agents, backed by strict national officers’ efforts, exposed large caches of thumb-printed ballot papers, revealing the NPP’s brazen efforts to stuff ballot boxes. This damning evidence, coupled with the party’s well-documented history of rigging attempts in previous elections, strips away any credibility from their grievances.
An appraisal of the NPP’s conduct in past elections reveals a disturbing pattern of sore losers unable to accept the democratic will of the Ghanaian people gracefully. In 1992, when Albert Adu-Boahene lost to Jerry John Rawlings’ NDC, the NPP accused Rawlings of rigging, labeling the results “the stolen verdict,” writing a book to that effect, and even instructing their parliamentary candidates to boycott the legislative elections.
Four years later, in 1996, the NPP branded Rawlings a “tyrant” who had “rigged the elections.” The 2008 elections witnessed the party blaming internal disunity and a lack of support from then-President John Agyekum Kufuor for their candidate, Nana Akufo-Addo’s defeat.
Perhaps the most egregious instance was the 2012 election petition. Despite independent observers declaring the polls largely free and fair, the NPP dragged the Mahama administration to court, resulting in an eight-month legal quagmire that paralyzed governance.
Paradoxically, while the NPP has constantly accused others of electoral malpractice, evidence suggests they have been the primary perpetrators of such misdeeds. In the 2004, 2008, and 2012 elections, some constituencies in the Ashanti Region recorded more votes than registered voters, raising serious questions about the integrity of the NPP’s electoral machinery. Had the NDC exhibited the same vigilance in those years as they did in 2024, the NPP’s victories would have been cast in serious doubt.
The irregularities in Ashanti Region constituencies during NPP victories cannot be ignored. In 2004, for instance, several constituencies reported voter turnouts exceeding 100%, with some areas allegedly recording over 120% turnout. Similar anomalies were observed in 2008 and 2012, with some polling stations purportedly receiving more votes than registered voters.
These discrepancies point to a concerning pattern of electoral manipulation, one that the NPP has consistently failed to address or acknowledge. Instead, they have chosen to deflect blame and question the integrity of the very process that brought them to power in those years. The question therefore is, must the NPP always win elections?
The 2024 elections further reinforced this narrative. The discovery of thumb-printed ballots in the NPP’s Ashanti stronghold was a damning indictment of the party’s willingness to compromise the democratic process for political gain. Their claim that low voter turnout among their supporters cost them the election rings hollow, as it assumes those who didn’t vote were exclusively NPP supporters without evidence.
A baffling aspect that further calls into question the NPP’s grievances is the discrepancy between voter registration figures in the Ashanti Region versus the Greater Accra Region. Despite the Greater Accra Region having a larger population (5,455,692 in 2021 compared to 5,440,463 in the Ashanti Region) as per the 2021 population census, the Ashanti Region boasts more registered voters. This discrepancy, coupled with the party’s history of inflated vote tallies in the region, suggests a concerted effort by the NPP to manipulate the electoral process in their favour. It is a stark reminder that the NPP’s claims of electoral injustice ring hollow in the face of their own machinations.
As Ghana continues to solidify its democratic credentials, the NPP’s refusal to accept electoral outcomes poses a grave threat to the nation’s stability and progress. A robust democracy thrives on the peaceful transfer of power, a principle the NPP seems unwilling to embrace fully.
The consequences of the NPP’s actions are far-reaching and deeply concerning. They undermine the credibility of electoral processes, contributing to governance paralysis and political gridlock. The 2012 election petition, for instance, dragged on for eight months, effectively stalling the government’s ability to implement key policies and initiatives during that period.
Furthermore, the NPP’s actions have fueled polarization and divisiveness within Ghanaian society, exacerbating existing societal fault lines and undermining the social cohesion essential for a stable and prosperous democracy. By consistently portraying itself as a victim of electoral injustice, the party has fostered a narrative of us-versus-them, pitting their supporters against those of the ruling party.
Perhaps most perniciously, the NPP’s behaviour has gradually eroded democratic norms and institutions in Ghana. By consistently challenging the legitimacy of election results and the integrity of the electoral process, the party has undermined the very foundations upon which Ghana’s democracy is built. Strong and independent electoral institutions are crucial for the proper functioning of any democracy, but the NPP’s actions have eroded public trust and weakened these institutions’ ability to function effectively.
If the NPP truly wishes to uphold democratic principles, it must engage in deep self-reflection. Accepting defeat with grace and dignity is a hallmark of true statesmanship, a virtue the party has yet to consistently demonstrate. Until the NPP recognizes the will of the Ghanaian people and respects the integrity of the electoral process, their claims of injustice will continue to ring hollow, casting a dark pall over Ghana’s democratic future.
Eventually, the NPP’s continuous denial of electoral defeats and unwillingness to embrace the will of the Ghanaian people poses an existential threat to the nation’s democratic future. By undermining the credibility of electoral processes, contributing to governance paralysis, fueling polarization and divisiveness, and eroding democratic norms and institutions, the party’s actions have cast a dark shadow over Ghana’s hard-won democratic gains.
If Ghana is to continue its journey towards a truly consolidated and vibrant democracy, all political actors, including the NPP, must embrace the principles of democratic accountability, respect for the will of the people, and peaceful transfers of power. Only by upholding these fundamental tenets can Ghana’s democracy thrive and serve as a beacon of hope and inspiration for the rest of the African continent.
Source: Samuel Innocent Appiah
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