Ghanaian actor and comedian Richard Asante, popularly known as Kalybos, has weighed in on the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) loss in the 2024 general elections, calling the outcome predictable and rooted in the party’s own failings.
Speaking on Showbiz A-Z with Kwame Dadzie, Kalybos, an avowed supporter of the NPP, said the signs of defeat were apparent to many, even within party ranks. He emphasized that widespread economic distress and a lack of responsive leadership played a decisive role in alienating the electorate.
“We all saw what the economic hardship was. I am a full party person but when it is A you need to say A. There was a problem. There was someone who would not listen,” he said.
Apart from the economic woes, the actor pointed to deeper dysfunction within the party’s structure. He noted that the cyclical nature of Ghana’s democracy, where power tends to shift after every eight years, combined with rising public frustration, created fertile ground for electoral change.
“With our democratic system here, it looks like every eight years, the people will bring in a new government. And it depends on how peeved people are during your last term. And we can all attest to it. This is no party bit. It was in shambles.”
Describing the state of the party during its final term, Kalybos painted a picture of disarray and disconnection from grassroots concerns.
“It was in a mess, for a lot of things going bad. It was bound to happen, let me just put it that way, so they would sit down and think about all that has gone on. It got to a time they weren’t really for the people. That is where I think the problem came from. And now I think they are righting their wrongs and I think they will do better,” he concluded.
Despite the loss, Kalybos expressed cautious optimism that the party could recover, if it learns from its mistakes and reconnects with the needs of ordinary Ghanaians.
