The Psychology Behind The NPP’s Praising Akufo‑Addo Despite His Leadership Failure

Nobody is asking the NPP to disrespect, betray, or speak against the leadership that ranked Akufo-Addo as the worst president in Ghana’s political history. However, sometimes when the situation becomes critical, especially following the disappointment and loss of trust from Ghanaians, the worst thing to do while the party is in the opposition is for the NPP to keep praising the poor leadership of Akufo-Addo.

When a political party moves into opposition after a period of public dissatisfaction, voters expect the party to show humility, reflection, and a willingness to confront its own mistakes. In Ghana’s case, many citizens associate the NPP’s defeat with widespread frustration over corruption allegations, economic hardship, and governance failures reported across multiple media outlets.

Therefore, when party members continue praising Akufo‑Addo despite this public anger, voters interpret the praise as denial, arrogance, and a refusal to learn. This creates a psychological barrier between the party and the electorate, making it difficult for the party to reconnect with ordinary people. Political psychology shows that voters need emotional validation after experiencing hardship.

When people lose jobs, businesses collapse, or inflation erodes their savings, they expect leaders and parties to acknowledge their suffering. If the NPP continues praising Akufo‑Addo, voters feel emotionally dismissed. It sends a message that their pain does not matter, and that the party is more interested in protecting its former leader than addressing the consequences of his administration.

This emotional disconnect deepens resentment and makes voters less willing to listen to the party’s future message. Voters also crave a clear break from the past when a party loses power. They want evidence that the party has learned from its mistakes and is ready to evolve. Instead, the NPP continues celebrating Akufo‑Addo, this signals that the party is still tied to the same leadership style that contributed to its defeat.

This creates the impression that the party is stuck, unrepentant, and unwilling to reform. In political psychology, this is known as “continuity bias,” where voters assume that a party will repeat the same behaviors if it returns to power.

Accountability is another crucial factor. Voters respond positively when political parties openly acknowledge failures and outline how they intend to correct them. When a party refuses to admit wrongdoing, voters assume that the corruption, incompetence, or mismanagement will continue. The NPP has also failed here. They never speak about accountability, rather, they are threatening the NDC what they will to them when they come to power. Who in his right mind will vote for the NPP to come back to power?

Finally, voters punish parties that ignore public anger. When a party refuses to acknowledge why people voted them out, voters interpret it as disrespect. This leads to what political psychologists call “collective punishment behavior,” where voters continue rejecting the party until they see genuine change. If the NPP keeps praising Akufo‑Addo, voters may continue punishing the party because they see no evidence of self-reflection or renewal.

I have said many times that I am neither a prophet nor a political analyst, yet readers familiar with Joel Savage’s work on Ghana’s political landscape rarely miss the point. Before writing any article about Ghana’s political scene, I take time to observe events carefully, watching them unfold with the clarity of a well‑scripted film. Today, the NPP finds itself in opposition, and the party’s struggle is not merely the result of electoral defeat but a deeper leadership vacuum.

Without an astute figure to guide the NPP, the party will continue to sink further into political disarray. Many Ghanaians believe they have witnessed unprecedented development under the NDC and President Mahama within just two years, progress that the people argue the NPP failed to deliver in eight years. This contrast shapes public sentiment, the reason many citizens are with NPP’s persistent praise of Akufo‑Addo.

Video credit; GH Poki
This is exactly the kind of political arrogance I have been talking about. In the video, NPP’s Stephen Amoah boldly claims that the party has already won the 2028 elections. Statements like this raise a serious question: can the public genuinely trust a leader who speaks this way and still believe he loves Ghana or respects its people? Such remarks do not reflect humility or accountability; they only deepen the frustration many citizens already feel.

Before the 2024 elections, I wrote about the NPP losing a lot of its members to the NDC and it happened. In 2028, it would be worse, voters may choose to distance themselves from the NPP and vote for the NDC, because of the emotional and psychological impact of the party’s refusal to confront its past.