By Julian Owusu-Abedi
Leading Member of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Gabby Asare Otchere-Darko, has strongly cautioned Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and the party’s leadership against what he describes as a “self-defeating posture” of apologizing to Ghanaians for the erstwhile government’s perceived shortcomings.
Speaking passionately to party members in a closed meeting, Gabby argued that such public apologies only embolden opponents and demoralize the party’s base at a time when it should be regaining confidence ahead of the 2028 general elections.
“We’re talking about 1.7 million new voters. Would you ignore them? The moment I heard it, I realized it was a sorry thing to do,” he began, stressing that expressing regret over past governance decisions was politically unwise.
According to him, the party’s electoral setbacks in strongholds such as the Ashanti Region were not due to a total loss of support, but rather to voter apathy. He cited data indicating that although Ashanti contributed roughly 30% of NPP’s national votes, the region barely increased its tally compared to 2017.
“Does that tell you Ashanti has abandoned the NPP for the NDC? No,” he said emphatically. “Our votes slumped not because people have switched sides, but because we failed to energize our base.”
Gabby reminded party communicators that politics is fundamentally comparative. “Humility doesn’t mean knocking yourself down,” he said. “You can admit that people expected more, but you don’t have to act like you’ve failed completely.”
He chastised those within the NPP who publicly apologized to Ashanti voters for “neglect,” describing it as politically suicidal. “You can’t say you’ve let the Ashanti Region down when, per capita, it’s had some of the highest numbers of road projects across the country,” he noted. “In politics, you give people what they say they want — not what you think they want. But you don’t destroy your own record to prove humility.”
Gabby urged the NPP to project confidence, defend its achievements, and acknowledge its shortcomings with tact — not self-blame.
“You must be bolder in defending what you did,” he told them. “Have the humility to accept where you fell short, but don’t wallow in sorrow. If you do, you’ll stay down or go under.”
He concluded by insisting that the 2028 election remains the NPP’s “best chance” — but only if its leaders shed the defeatist tone and stand tall on their record.
