Afenyo-Markin: NPP’s 2024 loss was a perfect storm, not a governance failure

Deputy Majority Leader and Member of Parliament for Effutu, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has offered a strong defense of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) following its surprising defeat in the 2024 general elections. In a public statement on Sunday, Afenyo-Markin argued that the party’s loss was not a consequence of bad governance but rather a convergence of complex, uncontrollable factors — a “perfect storm” that no political strategy could have completely withstood.

According to him, blaming the NPP’s governance record is a simplistic interpretation of a highly nuanced political outcome.

“The 2024 defeat was painful, but it was not because the NPP failed to govern,” Afenyo-Markin stated. “Rather, it was the culmination of external shocks, public frustration over global economic challenges, coordinated disinformation campaigns, and internal fractures within our party structure.”

He pointed to several headwinds the party faced in the run-up to the election, including inflation driven by global supply chain disruptions, post-COVID fiscal pressure, and persistent criticism on social media platforms that often lacked factual basis.

“We must recognize that no government in the world escaped the harsh impact of global economic downturns. Unfortunately, in our case, the NDC capitalized on the hardships and weaponized them politically,” he said.

Afenyo-Markin also acknowledged that internal discord and complacency within the NPP further weakened its electoral standing. “We allowed certain cracks to grow wider. From parliamentary primaries to policy disagreements, we sent mixed signals to the electorate,” he admitted.

However, he insisted the NPP’s record on infrastructure, education reforms, digitization, and industrialization cannot be discounted. “The Ghana Card initiative, Free SHS, digital revenue platforms — these were legacy-building programs. We governed with vision and purpose.”

While urging party members to regroup and prepare for a comeback, Afenyo-Markin cautioned against a blame game within the party. “Let us not self-destruct. We must focus on restructuring, learning, and listening more deeply to the Ghanaian people.”

His comments have sparked mixed reactions across political circles, with some praising his maturity and others calling for deeper accountability.

As the NPP assesses its future and contemplates a leadership overhaul, Afenyo-Markin’s narrative may shape how the party interprets its loss — not as a rejection of policies, but as a moment shaped by forces beyond its full control.