Dr. Samuel Afriyie, a political scientist at Kumasi Technical University, has commended Vice President and New Patriotic Party (NPP) leader Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia for his early concession in the 2024 presidential election.
Speaking to ABC News GH on Tuesday, Dr. Afriyie lauded Bawumia’s decision, describing it as a strategic move to maintain peace and calm across the country during a critical period.
“It has helped the country in general. And being the Vice President, I think that it was a good decision to take,” Dr. Afriyie remarked.
He highlighted the importance of Bawumia’s acknowledgment of the election results, explaining that the NPP’s internal systems likely confirmed the margin of loss, prompting the timely concession.
“They also have their system of checking the results, and I think they realized that they had lost and the margin—nothing could be done even if they had to wait for a period of time,” he explained.
Dr. Afriyie praised the move as a significant contribution to averting potential unrest, stating, “He came early to let the people know the situation so that noise, apprehension, and tension in the system will calm down.”
He also commended the Electoral Commission (EC) for conducting a generally credible election, noting, “Everyone who went to the polling station cast their vote, and there’s not much room to accuse the EC of being biased, except for a few areas where challenges were reported during counting in some constituencies.”