Former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu has rejected claims that former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia should be solely blamed for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) defeat in the 2024 general elections.
Speaking on Channel One TV’s The Point of View with Bernard Avle on Monday, October 6, 2025, Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu said that while Dr. Bawumia shared some responsibility as part of the government, ultimate executive authority rested with the President.
“Even though the Vice President and the President don’t share responsibility, the presidency encapsulates the two, so you cannot extricate yourself, especially when you sit in cabinet meetings,” he explained.
Responding to a question on whether Dr. Bawumia brought the criticism upon himself, the former Suame MP acknowledged that the Vice President could not be entirely absolved, given his leadership of the Economic Management Team (EMT).
“That is a reality. But nobody should forget that executive authority is vested in one person. That is not to extricate Dr. Bawumia from every blame. The Economic Management Team he headed, their role was only advisory,” he stated.
Mr. Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu emphasised that the EMT’s recommendations could not be imposed on the President.
He stressed, “Do they force their observations on the President? I’m saying that in the situation, you can’t whitewash Dr. Bawumia and extricate him from any of the things that people considered not good — the policies and programmes people think were not very good. You cannot extricate him completely.”
His comments come amid renewed debate within the NPP over the causes of the party’s 2024 electoral defeat and the extent of Dr. Bawumia’s responsibility as head of the Economic Management Team.
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