Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia and wife, Samira
The 2028 flagbearer of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has called on party members to forgive one another and move beyond divisions that characterised the party’s recent internal elections.
Addressing a National Thanksgiving Service held at the University of Professional Studies, Accra (UPSA) under the theme: “Offer to God Thanksgiving,” Dr. Bawumia described the flagbearership contest as gruelling but successful, urging supporters to focus on unity ahead of the 2028 general election.
“We have been through a gruelling election, one that has the potential to have caused wounds and strained relationships. Elections can leave scars that may not show on the surface but can sometimes cut deep,” he said.
“Let us put behind personal grudges, internal suspicions and factional lines. Let us rebuild trust among ourselves,” he appealed to party faithful.
Dr. Bawumia emphasised that the thanksgiving service was “not a celebration of personal ambition” but a moment of reflection, prayer and recommitment to a higher national cause.
Drawing on biblical references, he urged members to reject retaliation and bitterness.
“Jesus taught us… that when we are falsely accused, our response should reflect patience, truth, love and trust in God, rather than retaliation,” he said, adding that healing would not come through silence but by “speaking up on what binds us together.”
He acknowledged that harsh words may have been exchanged during the primary, and appealed for forgiveness.
“I want to ask all of us, from the bottom of my heart, to forgive each other for some of the unpalatable things we may have said against one another during this election cycle,” he said, while commending members who had begun reconciliation efforts.
Dr. Bawumia signalled the start of early preparations for the 2028 polls, declaring, “Victory in 2028 will not be gifted to us. It must be earned constituency by constituency, household by household, with humility and purpose.”
He announced plans for a nationwide thank you tour to appreciate party members, and outlined steps to reorganise party structures and refine alternative policy proposals for presentation to the electorate.
Dr. Bawumia pledged his commitment to rebuilding party unity and working towards national renewal.
“May God heal our party, may God heal our nation, and may God grant us the wisdom and strength to serve Ghana with integrity, courage and love,” he said.
Political Reprisals
Beyond internal unity, Dr. Bawumia used the occasion to appeal to the government to avoid political reprisals, saying, “This is not the time for retribution, intimidation or the settling of political scores.”
He added, “It is the time to lower the temperature, heal the nation, and govern in a way that reassures every Ghanaian that they are safe, respected and valued, regardless of how they voted.”
He stressed that “Ghana is bigger than any political party,” and warned that democracy must never be reduced to vengeance.
Sermon
Delivering the sermon, Rt. Rev. Prof. Joseph Obiri Yeboah Mante, former Moderator of the Presbyterian Church of Ghana, cautioned against envy and division, drawing lessons from the biblical story of Cain and Abel.
He urged political actors not to use party politics to create negative divisions in the country.
“Before NPP, NDC, CPP… there was Ghana. Do not use party politics in this country to create negative divisions. We are all one country with one people and one destiny,” he stated.
He further advised politicians not to treat supporters merely as instruments for electoral gain, referencing the moral philosophy of Immanuel Kant that “human beings are never supposed to be treated as means to an end, but as ends in themselves.”
Special prayers were offered for Dr. Bawumia and his spouse by Rt. Rev. Dr. Hilliard Dela Dogbe, former Chairman of the Ghana Christian Council.
By Ernest Kofi Adu