Minority Leader Alexander Afenyo-Markin sharply criticized the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the weekend, accusing the Mahama administration of rebranding and taking credit for major policy initiatives originally launched under the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking at the NPP’s National Delegates Conference held Saturday at the University of Ghana Stadium, Afenyo-Markin defended the party’s performance in office, despite a decisive electoral defeat in 2024, and pushed back against claims that the NPP’s governance record fell short.
“Yes, we lost the 2024 elections in a big way,” he told delegates. “But let us be clear—this was not a defeat born out of failure. It was a perfect storm of adversity no government in the Fourth Republic has ever had.”
Citing the banking sector cleanup, the COVID-19 pandemic, and global economic shocks from the Russia-Ukraine war, Afenyo-Markin argued that the Akufo-Addo administration faced a unique confluence of crises. Despite these challenges, he said the government maintained stability and laid a foundation for recovery.
“We fixed a crisis and handed over an economy with stronger GDP growth than what we inherited in 2017,” he said, pointing to progress in economic fundamentals, foreign exchange reserves, and industrialisation initiatives. He credited bondholders and ordinary Ghanaians for making sacrifices that enabled the recovery.
Among the achievements highlighted were the Free Senior High School policy, the One District One Factory (1D1F) industrial initiative, expanded healthcare infrastructure, and the introduction of STEM and digital transformation programmes.
Afenyo-Markin accused the NDC of appropriating those accomplishments through what he called “propaganda branding.”
“Mahama’s government is taking credit for work it didn’t do—whether it's the so-called 24-hour economy, the gold board, or other initiatives—they are simply rebranding our achievements and marketing them as their own,” he said.
He urged party members not to lose sight of the NPP’s contributions to national development.
“The foundation they are standing on was laid by this party—by our sacrifices, by our bold leadership in the face of crisis,” Afenyo-Markin said. “We have no reason to hang our heads.”
Concluding his address, the Minority Leader called on delegates to rally around the party’s values and look ahead with resolve.
“Let us go back to our roots. Let us rebuild with courage. Let us reimagine our future,” he said. “We rise again in unity and in the enduring spirit of our great NPP.”
