Former Chief of Staff Kwadwo Mpiani has revealed that he had foreseen the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) loss in the 2024 election, a prediction he shared with party members who, he claims, dismissed his concerns.
In a candid interview with Randy Abbey on Good Morning Ghana, Mpiani expressed disappointment over the state of the party, highlighting the long-standing issues that, in his view, led to the electoral defeat. He pointed to the pivotal moment when the NPP removed its elected chairman, Paul Afoko, and general secretary, Kwabena Agyepong, from their positions. According to Mpiani, this move gave one individual too much power over the party, stifling dissent and leading to a culture of sycophancy within the ranks.
Mpiani explained that the party’s internal struggles set the stage for broader challenges, eventually affecting the government’s ability to govern effectively. “When you express concerns, you become an outcast because they think you don’t like the president or the government; that is why you’re behaving that way,” he said, reflecting on the toxic political environment that stifled constructive criticism.
The former Chief of Staff, who has decades of experience in politics, stressed the importance of speaking up when things are going wrong. He suggested that the NPP’s problems began with the internal power struggles and continued when government decisions became more centralized under one leader, with fewer checks and balances.
“I knew we were not going to be successful in the election, and I told some colleagues, but they didn’t want to listen to me,” Mpiani revealed. “Maybe we’ve not put our ears to the ground to hear what people were saying and that people were very angry with us,” he added, lamenting the disconnect between party leadership and the electorate.
Mpiani’s reflections provide a sobering critique of the NPP’s trajectory, suggesting that internal party conflicts, lack of accountability, and failure to address public concerns played a significant role in the party’s poor performance in the 2024 elections. His comments underscore the broader challenges facing political parties when they fail to remain in touch with their constituents and internal governance structures.
