The 2024 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has appealed to party delegates to maintain him as the party’s flagbearer, arguing that consistency is the surest path to reclaiming power in 2028.

Addressing delegates at Adansi Asokwa in the Ashanti Region on Wednesday, September 10, Dr. Bawumia said Ghana’s electoral history shows that political parties benefit when they stick with candidates across election cycles.

He pointed out that every outgoing president since the Fourth Republic began in 1993 has handed over to a candidate they had previously contested against.

“In 1996, the NPP presented John Agyekum Kufuor, who polled 39%. He was retained in 2000, and he won. The late Prof. Atta Mills secured 43% in 2000, 44% in 2004, and finally won in 2008 after being presented three times. Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo lost in 2008 and 2012 but went on to win in 2016. President Mahama lost in 2016 and 2020 but returned in 2024 to win. Clearly, maintaining faith in a candidate pays off,” Dr. Bawumia explained.

He further noted a unique trend in Ghana’s political transitions: “Since 1992, every president has handed over power to someone they had previously contested against. Rawlings handed over to Kufuor, Kufuor to Mills, Mahama to Akufo-Addo, and Akufo-Addo to Mahama. If this trend holds, President Mahama will hand over in 2029 to Dr. Bawumia — unless the NPP changes its candidate. But history also shows no first-timer has ever won Ghana’s presidential election.”

According to him, retaining a candidate provides strategic advantages, particularly after significant resources and effort have been invested in building their national image.

“I am the most marketed, most prepared and most winnable candidate among all aspirants. My character, temperament and unifying nature are well known. No Ghanaian can say they haven’t heard of Dr. Bawumia. I urge you to vote for me on January 31, 2026, so we can consolidate the benefits of political consistency,” he told delegates.

Dr. Bawumia made the appeal at the start of a three-day engagement with NPP constituency executives in the Ashanti Region. According to his campaign team, the exercise is meant to formally notify party leaders of his intention to tour constituencies and interact directly with polling station delegates ahead of the flagbearer contest.