A group known as the Concerned Traders of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) in Kumasi has called for a new flagbearer for the 2028 general elections, rejecting any attempt to reintroduce Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as the party’s candidate.
Speaking at a press conference on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, the spokesperson for the group, Benjamin Ofori, stated that the NPP’s humiliating defeat in the 2024 elections highlighted the need for a different and winnable candidate.
He attributed the party’s electoral loss to unpopular government decisions and what he described as the selection of the “wrong candidate” in Dr. Bawumia.
“The assumption that Dr. Bawumia would secure the northern and Islamic votes did not materialize. Instead, the party suffered significant losses in these areas, eroding the gains the NPP had made since 1992,” Ofori stated.
The group emphasized that under Dr. Bawumia’s candidacy, the NPP lost four out of the five northern regions, calling the outcome “embarrassing.”
They also pointed out that even in the Vice President’s home region, the margin of victory over former President John Mahama was minimal compared to the 2020 elections. Meanwhile, Mahama secured a much larger victory margin in his own home region.
Additionally, the traders group lamented the NPP’s failure to secure a single parliamentary seat in the Upper East and Upper West regions, arguing that Dr. Bawumia’s candidacy failed to mobilize Zongo and Christian voters.
They further noted that the party lost 58 parliamentary seats nationwide and experienced a 24% decline in votes in its stronghold, the Ashanti Region.
Rejecting comparisons to President Akufo-Addo’s three-time presidential bids, Ofori stressed that Akufo-Addo consistently secured higher percentages in his losses—49.7% in 2008 and 47.7% in 2012—compared to Bawumia’s 38.4% in 2024.
The group warned that pushing for Dr. Bawumia’s candidacy again would keep the NPP in opposition for at least 12 years.
“If the party truly wants to return to power in 2028, it must choose a candidate who is a living testimony of good leadership and sound economic policies,” Ofori added.
They appealed to party members to resist any attempts to impose Dr. Bawumia as the NPP’s 2028 candidate and called for a broad-based reflection on the 2024 electoral results to ensure the party selects a stronger candidate for the next election.
At the time of writing, the NPP leadership has yet to respond to the concerns raised by the Kumasi-based traders, as the party focuses on rebuilding.