Former Public Relations Officer under the previous New Patriotic Party (NPP) administration, Kwesi Kwarteng, has expressed concern that the motive behind the party’s ongoing “Thank You Tour” is being derailed.
His comments follow remarks by the NPP’s 2024 presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, who, during the launch of his nationwide tour at Takoradi Technical University, attributed the party’s electoral defeat to several factors.
He mentioned arrogance of power, failure to reshuffle ministers, the introduction of the E-Levy, and the controversial domestic debt exchange programme (haircut policy).
Dr. Bawumia highlighted how these issues left many Ghanaians struggling, particularly under the IMF-backed debt restructuring programme.
However, his comments have sparked criticism from some party stalwarts, who argue that this is not the time to shift blame.
Reacting on Starr FM with Naa Dedei Tettey, Mr. Kwarteng stated that while the concerns raised by Dr. Bawumia may be valid, the timing and platform were inappropriate.
He emphasized that the “Thank You Tour” was intended to express gratitude to party members and Ghanaians, irrespective of the election outcome, and not to revisit internal grievances.
Mr. Kwarteng warned that Dr. Bawumia’s remarks have sparked unnecessary media debates, potentially overshadowing the tour’s original purpose and tarnishing the party’s image.
He said, “I want it to be aligned to its original purpose. It should be aligned to its original purpose. The purpose that every layman should understand. That when we talk about a thank you talk, we are essentially going to express our gratitude regardless of the eventualities and the circumstances, but not a platform to exonerate ourselves, to save the blame.
You see, the Honorable Dr. Bawumia may even be coming from a place of good motive, but how people are understanding it means that he’s throwing his former boss under the bus. And that is what we want to guard against as a party. If indeed we want to promote unity.”
