2024 Bawumia Middle Belt Campaign Coordinator, Dr Nana Ayew Afriye
Dr Nana Ayew Afriye, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) MP for Effiduase/Asokore and 2024 Middle Belt Campaign Coordinator for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has issued a warning to the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) about the 2028 presidential election.
In a social media post dated Saturday, 26 April 2025, Dr Afriye predicted that the NDC will struggle to alter a long-standing electoral narrative, where new candidates from ruling parties lose to familiar opposition figures, urging the party to prepare accordingly.
“Any new presidential candidate who emerged on the ticket of a ruling government lost it to the familiar faced opposition presidential candidate,” he noted.
Dr Afriye’s analysis draws on historical trends in Ghana’s Fourth Republic, which began in 1992.
He highlighted that new presidential candidates from ruling governments have consistently failed to secure victory against well-known opposition candidates.
He referenced the late President John Evans Atta Mills, who lost in 2000 as a new NDC candidate despite his party being in power; Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, who lost in 2008 as the NPP candidate whilst his party was in power; and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, who lost in 2024 as the NPP candidate to the NDC’s John Dramani Mahama.
Mahama, a familiar face who previously served as president, secured a landslide victory with 56.42% of the vote, whilst the NDC also won 183 parliamentary seats compared to the NPP’s 88.
He argued that the NDC, now in power, faces the same historical challenge in 2028. As the party will likely field a new candidate, Dr Afriye believes they will probably lose to a familiar NPP opposition figure, potentially Dr Bawumia.
He thus urged NDC supporters to disabuse their minds of any possibility of having the elections influenced in their favour by the Electoral Commission or the judiciary and advised them to instead prepare for an imminent defeat.
“The CJ & EC ain’t the issue. Arguably, NPP had the CJ & EC yet, NPP lost it. @NDC fanatic big up, build your friendship and bridges plus grow yourself, 2028 won’t be a different story…SHINE your eye!” he wrote.
To his fellow NPP members, Dr Afriye highlighted Dr Bawumia’s chances of winning the 2028 election based on precedent and called on supporters of his opponents to face reality, avoid personal politics, and foster strong relationships within the party.
“@NPP fanatic big up, the familiar faced Opposition Prez. candidate will win from precedence. Hence you in another camp. Wise up, build bridges internally, don’t get too personal & leave an exit window…the narrative won’t change. SHINE YOUR EYES!!” he emphasised.
GA/MA