Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum, an aspirant for the flagbearer position of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), has cautioned against holding former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia solely responsible for Ghana’s economic challenges.

He made the comments on AsaasePa FM’s Atumpan programme on Wednesday, September 17, 2025.

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Adutwum clarified that while he might have expressed criticism differently, it was never his intention to accuse Bawumia of having “destroyed the economy”. He described such characterisations as being driven by “ill intent”.

Adutwum also noted that criticism linking all economic problems in Ghana to Bawumia is misplaced, pointing out that Bawumia never served as Finance Minister and therefore cannot bear full responsibility.

He suggested that if there have been “lapses” during the NPP’s tenure, these need to be acknowledged and addressed with precision. Sweeping generalisations, he warned, 'can be a weapon for our political opponent to use against us'.

Reflecting on accomplishments under the NPP, Adutwum asserted that Ghana ranked second in Africa for education.

He admitted, however, that the party’s failure was in not communicating these successes more effectively to the public.

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His remarks come at a time of intra-party discussion over how internal criticism and public perception could impact the NPP’s image ahead of upcoming elections.