NPP Makes Mahama President As Voter Apathy Hits Hard

John Mahama

 

In a shocking turn of events, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) defeat in the just organised election was due to voter apathy. The party has inadvertently handed the presidency to John Dramani Mahama, the candidate of the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

A closer look at the numbers reveals that John Mahama’s victory was not solely due to his campaign promises, but rather the failure of NPP supporters to turn out and vote.

In the 2020 elections, Mahama secured 6,264,517 votes, while Nana Akufo-Addo garnered 6,777,325 votes. Fast forward to the present, with a voter population of 18,777,159, Mahama obtained 6,328,397 votes, a mere increase of 63,880 votes.

In contrast, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the NPP’s candidate, secured 4,657,304 votes, a significant drop from President Akufo-Addo’s 2020 tally.

The math is stark: 2,120,021 voters who supported Akufo-Addo in 2020 did not vote for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

If these voters had turned out for Bawumia in 2024 without any additional increase, he would likely have led Mahama by at least 500,000 votes, securing a first-round victory.

The NPP’s main challenge was getting its supporters to the polls, and it’s clear that the party and government were aware of the reasons behind this.

A poll by Global InfoAnalytics revealed that 16% of potential non-voters identified as NPP supporters, while only 3% of NDC supporters fell into this category.

The poll also highlighted a troubling trend of discontent among NPP voters, with 19% of those who supported Akufo-Addo in 2020 switching their allegiance to Mahama.

In key regions like Greater Accra and Central, 20% and 37% of 2020 NPP voters, respectively, also shifted their support to John Mahama.

The NPP’s voter apathy was further compounded by the emergence of independent candidates, Nana Kwame Bediako and Alan Kyerematen, who eroded Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s dominance in key regions.

In the Ashanti region, where the NPP targets 85% support, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia currently holds 66%, while Mahama garners 22%, and Bediako and Kyerematen capture 7% and 4%, respectively ¹.

As the dust settles on the 2024 elections, it’s clear that the NPP’s failure to mobilize its supporters has had far-reaching consequences.

John Mahama’s victory may have been unexpected, but it’s a stark reminder of the importance of voter turnout in democratic elections.

As one observer noted, “John Mahama didn’t win the elections based on his campaign promises. Disgruntled NPP supporters decided to stay home and watch. And so, in effect, NPP decided to make John Mahama President.”

–BY Daniel Bampoe

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