Former Vice-President, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has declared that he is the most prepared candidate to lead the New Patriotic Party (NPP) into the 2028 elections.
“I’m offering myself as flagbearer with integrity, competence, compassion, humility and values to serve both party and country,” he said.
Dr Bawumia made these remarks yesterday at the NPP headquarters in Accra, where he formally submitted and filled his nomination to contest the party’s presidential primaries scheduled for January 31, 2026.
He described the forthcoming NPP presidential primaries as an election “for the soul of the party”, stressing that the choice delegates make would determine whether the NPP remained true to the values of its forebears or drifts away from its tradition.
Tracing the roots of the party to the tradition of J.B. Danquah, K.A. Busia, Victor Owusu, John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, he said the NPP had always risen at critical moments in Ghana’s history to provide leadership and must do so again in 2028.
“The NPP and Ghana are demanding a leader who embodies the values of our forebears deep intellect, humility, respect for all persons, unity, courage, foresight and resilience. I offer myself to lead this party because I believe I am the most prepared for the 2028 elections and the presidency in 2029,” he declared.
Highlighting his record, Dr Bawumia cited several initiatives he spearheaded while in government, including the Ghana Card, Mobile Money Interoperability, the Gold-for-Oil Programme, Agenda 111, the No Guarantor Student Loan Scheme, and the Zipline Drone Delivery Service.
These, he stressed, had impacted millions of lives and proved that he was “rich in ideas, not money”.
He also underscored his grassroots credentials, recalling that over the past 16 years he had visited every constituency multiple times to campaign and work with party members.
Dr Bawumia, who was also the NPP’s flag-bearer in the 2024 general election, cautioned against divisive politics within the party, warning that attacks based on religion, tribe or factional rivalry only weakened the party.
“To win in 2028, we must not just talk unity, we must live it. Our true opponent is not within it is out there,” he told party faithfuls.
Outlining his vision for the country, he pledged to reduce the cost of living, expand the economy, introduce tax reforms, support local production, and build a digitalised economy that creates jobs and offers equal opportunities for all, including women, the physically challenged and the grassroots.
He assured delegates that if elected, he would reward the sacrifices of party members, restore lost opportunities for the grassroots, and lead the NPP to victory in 2028.
Among the party leaders who accompanied him were Member of Parliament for Bantama Constituency in the Ashanti Region, Francis Asenso-Boakye; former MP for Ayawaso West Wuogon in the Greater Accra Region, Lydia Seyram Alhassan; MP for Damongo in the Savannah Region, Samuel Abu Jinapor as well as national delegates and other prominent figures.
BY STEPHANIE BIRIKORANG
