The National Communications Director of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has attributed the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections largely to what he described as neglect of its grassroots base.

The NPP, which was seeking a third consecutive presidential victory, lost the election to the National Democratic Congress (NDC) and John Dramani Mahama by more than 1.6 million votes.

According to Ahiagbah, the party failed to adequately empower and engage its supporters at the constituency and regional levels, resulting in discontent, apathy and reduced support during the election.

“It wasn’t done; it has to be done. It is the only way we could have gone a third term straight,” Mr Ahiagbah said when speaking on Metro TV’s Good Afternoon Ghana programme on Monday, August 17.

He said many party supporters who worked to secure electoral victories in 2016 and 2020 did not see any meaningful benefits or transformation from those victories.

According to him, the failure to address the expectations of the party’s grassroots created dissatisfaction that eventually weakened the NPP’s support base.

He further noted that some key decisions that should have been handled at the regional and constituency levels were instead concentrated in Accra, limiting the ability of the grassroots structures to effectively mobilise for the party.

Ahiagbah, who is currently seeking the position of the First National Vice Chairman, said the party’s electoral performance in 2024 demonstrated the consequences of weakening its grassroots structures.

“Human beings are not light switches. They have emotions. They have expectations,” he said.

The NPP spokesperson said the party must therefore return to the grassroots, rebuild its structures and continuously maintain them ahead of the 2028 elections.