NPP’s Adomako-Mensah Blames LGBTQ Issue for 2024 Election Loss: NDC ‘Weaponized’ It Against Us
The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) defeat in the 2024 general elections was largely due to the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) exploiting the controversial LGBTQ+ issue as a potent campaign tool, according to Hon. Collins Adomako-Mensah, Member of Parliament for Afigya Kwabre North.
In a candid statement on Wednesday, December 3, 2025, the Ashanti Region lawmaker – who retained his seat with 16,689 votes in the December 7 polls – accused the NDC of turning the debate over the Promotion of Proper Human Sexual Rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill (Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill) into a divisive wedge issue that alienated conservative voters from the ruling NPP.
“We lost the 2024 elections because the NDC used the LGBTQ issue as a campaign weapon against the NPP,” Adomako-Mensah declared, echoing frustrations among party faithful still reeling from the NDC’s landslide victory that secured the presidency for John Dramani Mahama and flipped Parliament to a 183-87 majority.84b4b0
A Calculated Electoral Strategy?
Adomako-Mensah’s remarks align with a growing narrative within NPP circles that the party was caught off-guard by the NDC’s aggressive messaging. During the campaign, NDC flagbearer Mahama repeatedly positioned himself as a staunch defender of “Ghanaian values,” vowing to uphold the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill – signed into law in March 2024 despite international backlash – while portraying the NPP as “soft” on the issue.
The bill, which imposes up to five years in prison for LGBTQ+ advocacy and 10 years for same-sex relations, became a flashpoint after President Nana Akufo-Addo delayed assent amid threats of U.S. aid cuts. Critics, including the NPP’s own Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, faced accusations of wavering, with NDC surrogates like Haruna Iddrisu labeling the government as “enablers of Western immorality.”
A September 2025 report by Rightify Ghana documented how both parties weaponized homophobia, with the NDC’s rhetoric surging in the final months: “The 2024 elections were marked by an unprecedented surge in anti-LGBTQI+ rhetoric, hate speech, and misinformation,” the report stated, noting NDC campaigns amplified disinformation linking the NPP to “gay agendas.”72feb1
NPP’s Internal Reckoning
Adomako-Mensah, a member of the NPP’s Finance and Health Committees, urged the party to learn from the misstep as it prepares for internal primaries and the 2028 comeback. His comments follow similar post-mortems: In November 2025, NPP elders like Nana Obiri Boahen blamed internal divisions and resource mismanagement, while Bawumia loyalists pointed to economic hardships from inflation and debt.
Yet, the LGBTQ+ angle resonates in the Bible Belt-like Ashanti Region, where Adomako-Mensah won decisively despite the NPP’s national collapse – losing over 100 parliamentary seats nationwide.1e14b4 He retained his 2020 margin of 65.75%, crediting local unity efforts.e06e69
The NDC has dismissed such claims as “sore loser excuses,” with spokespersons highlighting voter fatigue over corruption scandals and the Free SHS policy’s implementation woes. Mahama, in his December 2024 victory speech, credited the win to a “rejection of eight years of misrule.”
Broader Implications
Adomako-Mensah’s outburst underscores the Anti-LGBTQ+ Bill’s lingering toxicity in Ghanaian politics. Passed amid protests and global condemnation – including a U.S. visa restriction policy targeting supporters – the law has since led to arrests and a chilling effect on advocacy groups.
As the NPP grapples with defeat analysis ahead of its January 31, 2026 primaries, debates rage over whether to double down on cultural conservatism or pivot to economic reforms. For now, Adomako-Mensah’s words serve as a stark reminder: In Ghana’s polarized arena, social issues can swing votes as decisively as bread-and-butter concerns.
