By In the aftermath of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) bruising defeat in Ghana’s 2024 general elections, a revealing statement attributed to Dan Botwe, the party’s campaign chairman, has sparked intense discussion about the internal dynamics that may have contributed to the loss. Botwe’s alleged comments, reportedly documented on page 76 of the Prof.
Aaron Mike Oquaye-led committee report, paint a picture of discord within the campaign team, centered on a confrontation with an individual named Dennis over campaign funds. The fallout, Botwe claims, led him to take a backseat in the campaign, a decision that may have had far-reaching consequences for the NPP’s electoral fortunes. This article analyzes the implications of Botwe’s statement, the broader context of the NPP’s campaign struggles, and the unanswered questions surrounding the Oquaye report.
The Allegation: Disrespect and a Step Back
According to posts circulating on X on April 20, 2025, Botwe, a seasoned NPP stalwart and former Minister for Regional Reorganisation, expressed frustration over what he described as disrespectful behavior from an individual named Dennis. The posts quote Botwe as saying: “As the campaign manager, I took the back seat bcus of the disrespectful behaviour of Dennis.
I recall when the campaign funds issue came to my attention, I called Dennis, and to my shock, the words he used on me are not something I’d like to repeat.” The statement, attributed to page 76 of the Oquaye report, suggests a significant rift within the NPP’s campaign leadership, with Botwe stepping away from active management due to the altercation.
While the identity of “Dennis” remains unconfirmed, speculation points to Dennis Miracles Aboagye, the Director of Communications for Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s 2024 presidential campaign. Aboagye’s prominent role and reported assertiveness—described in some quarters as overbearing—lend credence to this theory.
For instance, an X post from April 17, 2025, by user @AnnMuller_ claimed that Aboagye’s attitude toward Botwe contributed to the NPP’s “humiliating defeat,” citing the Oquaye report. However, without access to the report itself, these claims remain unverified, and Aboagye has not publicly responded to the allegations.
The issue of campaign funds adds another layer of intrigue. Botwe’s statement implies a financial dispute or mismanagement that prompted his call to Dennis. While specifics are absent, the sensitivity of campaign financing in Ghanaian politics cannot be overstated. Allegations of fund misallocation have historically plagued political campaigns, and the NPP’s 2024 effort was no exception.
In March 2025, Aboagye faced accusations from Yaw Adomako Baafi, a former NPP communications director, of hoarding party funds intended for media outreach. Aboagye dismissed these claims, but the recurrence of such allegations suggests underlying tensions over resource allocation within the campaign.
The Oquaye Report: A Pandora’s Box?
The Oquaye report, compiled by a committee chaired by former Speaker of Parliament Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, was commissioned in January 2025 to investigate the NPP’s electoral defeat and propose strategies for recovery. Submitted to the party’s National Council on April 16, 2025, the report has become a focal point of controversy. While its full contents remain undisclosed, snippets like Botwe’s alleged statement have fueled public speculation about its findings.
Dr. Jonathan Asante Okyere, a political science lecturer, suggested on April 20, 2025, that the NPP’s reluctance to release the report stems from a desire to shield influential figures, hinting at damaging revelations about internal power struggles.
The report’s credibility has also been questioned. Critics, including former MP Sarah Adwoa Safo and NPP founding member Dr. Nyaho Nyaho-Tamakloe, have challenged Prof. Oquaye’s leadership, citing potential bias and his son’s electoral loss in Dome-Kwabenya as a conflict of interest. These criticisms underscore the difficulty of conducting an impartial post-mortem in a party riven by factionalism.
If Botwe’s statement is indeed part of the report, it raises questions about whether the committee delved into specific instances of misconduct or mismanagement, and whether its findings will ever see the light of day.
Context: A Campaign in Disarray
Botwe’s decision to step back must be viewed within the broader context of the NPP’s 2024 campaign, which was marked by organizational challenges and internal discord. As campaign chairman, Botwe was tasked with steering Dr. Bawumia’s presidential bid and coordinating parliamentary campaigns. However, reports suggest he faced resistance from party factions and key campaign figures. Johnson Asiedu Nketiah, National Chairman of the rival National Democratic Congress (NDC), claimed in early 2025 that Botwe was sidelined by party insiders, a narrative that aligns with Botwe’s own account of withdrawing due to disrespect.
The campaign’s financial struggles further compounded these issues. The NPP’s defeat—losing to John Dramani Mahama’s NDC with 56.55% of the presidential vote—has been attributed partly to its inability to mobilize resources effectively in key regions like the Ashanti stronghold. Botwe’s reference to a “campaign funds issue” may point to these broader systemic failures, where disagreements over fund allocation or transparency eroded team cohesion.
Implications for the NPP
Botwe’s revelations, if substantiated, highlight a critical failure of leadership and communication within the NPP’s campaign. The decision of a campaign chairman to take a backseat mid-campaign is no small matter; it likely disrupted strategic planning and morale at a pivotal moment. Moreover, the public airing of such grievances via social media suggests a lack of internal mechanisms to resolve conflicts discreetly, further damaging the party’s image as it grapples with its opposition role.
The incident also underscores the challenges of managing diverse personalities in high-stakes political campaigns. If Dennis is indeed Aboagye, his reported assertiveness may reflect a broader generational or ideological clash within the NPP, pitting younger, outspoken operatives against established figures like Botwe. Resolving these tensions will be crucial for the party’s rebuilding efforts ahead of future elections.
Unanswered Questions
The absence of the Oquaye report in the public domain leaves several questions unanswered. What exactly was the “campaign funds issue” Botwe referenced? Were there formal investigations into financial mismanagement, or was this a personal dispute? What specific actions or words from Dennis prompted Botwe’s withdrawal, and how did they impact the campaign’s outcome? Until the NPP releases the report or Botwe clarifies his statement, these details will remain speculative.
Conclusion
Dan Botwe’s alleged statement, as reported from the Oquaye report, offers a rare glimpse into the internal dysfunction that plagued the NPP’s 2024 election campaign. His decision to step back, triggered by a confrontation over campaign funds and disrespectful behavior, reflects deeper issues of trust, resource management, and leadership within the party.
As the NPP navigates its post-election recovery, the lessons from this episode—transparency, accountability, and unity—will be critical to restoring its electoral prospects. For now, the Oquaye report remains a tantalizing enigma, its secrets fueling speculation about the true causes of the NPP’s defeat.
Note: The author has relied on publicly available information, including posts on X and news reports, to construct this analysis. The full Oquaye report, if released, may provide further clarity on the events described.
