Copyright ghanamma
Former Education Minister Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum has reflected candidly on the NPP’s election loss, admitting that despite major strides in education, the outcome was a sobering reminder that development achievements alone do not always guarantee political victory. Speaking on Starr Chat with Bola Ray on Thursday, November 6, 2025, Dr Adutwum said the moment he saw preparations underway at Independence Square for the new president’s swearing-in, the reality of defeat finally sank in. “I felt, wow, we’ve actually lost,” he recalled. He explained that his confidence ahead of the polls had been driven by what he believed were transformative accomplishments in education. “I had some belief that we could win the election based on the work we’ve done in education,” he said. “STEM education that people have talked about for years has now become a reality. We are building model junior high schools, and the country had never seen this before. Public schools like Accra STEM Academy were commissioned — people thought this would never be a reality in Ghana.” However, Dr Adutwum acknowledged that the political dynamics went beyond his sector’s performance. “I believed some voters would make an exception and consider what we delivered, but it didn’t happen,” he admitted. “Even in other areas where we’d performed well, like road construction, it wasn’t enough.” The former minister’s reflections, he said, highlight the complex intersection of policy success and electoral politics — a reminder that visible progress in governance does not always translate into votes.
