Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
Former Vice President and 2024 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has cautioned against what he described as “dangerous tribal and religious propaganda” being peddled by some of his flagbearer rivals within the party.
Speaking at the NPP’s 33rd Anniversary celebration in New York, USA, yesterday, Dr. Bawumia warned that such divisive tactics risk portraying the party as exclusionary and undermining its chances of winning back power in 2028.
His remarks came in response to alleged claims by former Minister for Food and Agriculture, Dr. Acheampong, who argued at a separate event that the NPP’s 2024 electoral defeat was linked to “tribal dynamics” surrounding Dr. Bawumia’s candidacy.
Dr. Acheampong suggested that longstanding rivalries between Mamprusis and Kusasis contributed to the party’s poor performance in northern constituencies, and that Dr. Bawumia’s religious and ethnic background limited his appeal to voters.
But Dr. Bawumia dismissed these claims as unfounded, insisting that they were both “false and desperate.”
“The people playing the religion and tribal card clearly do not have a message. That propaganda is not only false but also dangerous for the NPP,” he told the gathering.
To reinforce his argument, Dr. Bawumia referenced the findings of a report led by former Speaker of Parliament, Prof. Aaron Mike Oquaye, which investigated the NPP’s defeat in 2024.
According to him, the study concluded that religion and ethnicity were not determining factors in voter behaviour.
“Nearly 80% of respondents said they voted against us because of disappointment with government performance, not because of religion or tribe,” he stressed.
Dr. Bawumia further pointed out that his presidential votes in 2024 actually surpassed those of several Christian parliamentary candidates in the party’s strongholds, effectively disproving the claim that his background cost the NPP votes.
On the sensitive issue of the protracted Mamprusi-Kusasi conflict in Bawku, he rejected assertions that the unrest played a decisive role in the election outcome.
Presenting historical data, he argued that the NPP tradition has consistently struggled to win seats in the Bawku area since 1965, regardless of its presidential candidate.
“The Bawku conflict was not a factor in the outcome of the 2024 election. The data is clear,” he said.
Calling for a new approach to internal campaigning, Dr. Bawumia urged his competitors to focus on policy alternatives, leadership records, and integrity rather than resorting to identity-based attacks.
“If you want to contest me, come with a vision, come with your ideas, come with your track record, come with your integrity and let us decide. Your message cannot be that I am a Muslim, a northerner, or a Mamprusi man. That is not the politics of the NPP,” he emphasised.
He also reminded the party of its proud tradition of inclusivity, tracing its heritage to the United Party (UP), which was formed from diverse regional and religious groups, including the Northern People’s Party, the Muslim Association Party, the Ga Shifimo Kpee and the Anlo Youth Organisation.
“It is clear therefore that the bonds of unity in diversity have been our lifeblood and our foundation. Now more than ever, we must refresh them,” he declared.
Dr. Bawumia warned that if such propaganda persists, it could fracture the NPP and erode its identity as a broad-based national party.
He urged members to embrace unity and maturity, recalling that the divisions of 1979 had weakened the party and must never be repeated.
“This propaganda risks pigeonholing the NPP as a tribal and sectional party. That is not who we are. We are the party of unity, the party that embraces all. If we heal and stand together, we will be unstoppable in 2028,” he concluded to loud applause.
A Daily Guide Report