Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia
Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, was declared winner of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential primary, securing 56.48 percent of the valid votes cast to emerge as the party’s flagbearer for the 2028 general election.
The Electoral Commission (EC), which supervised the nationwide exercise, announced that Dr. Bawumia polled 110,643 votes after the collation of results from all 333 polling stations across the country. Out of a total of 196,462 ballots cast, 561 were rejected.
Former Member of Parliament (MP) for Assin Central, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, placed second with 46,554 votes, representing 23.76 percent, while former Minister for Agriculture, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, followed closely with 36,303 votes, accounting for 18.53 percent.
Former Minister for Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, obtained 1,999 votes (1.02 percent), while former General Secretary of the party, Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, garnered 402 votes, representing 0.21 percent.
The primary, held on Saturday, January 31, 2026, capped more than six months of intense campaigning, during which the five aspirants toured all 16 regions, presenting their policy ideas and visions to an expanded electoral college of over 200,000 delegates.
Peaceful, Transparent Process
Election day was marked by calm, orderliness and strict adherence to electoral procedures, with party officials, observers and political watchers widely praising the process as peaceful, transparent and fair.
At the NPP headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra, delegates arrived as early as dawn, even though polls officially opened at 7:00 a.m.
More than 900 delegates, including about 153 national officers and 824 diaspora delegates from countries such as the United States, United Kingdom, China and Russia, cast their ballots at the headquarters.
The usually quiet premises during the week transformed into a hive of activity as national officers, Members of Parliament, former MPs, former government appointees and party executives, many clad in white and the party’s red, white and blue colours, went through accreditation and voting under the supervision of EC officials.
Despite a large gathering of supporters who besieged the area to catch a glimpse of senior party figures, particularly Dr. Bawumia, there were no reports of violence, disturbances or chaotic scenes.
Security personnel deployed to the headquarters ensured smooth movement, crowd control and compliance with voting procedures throughout the day.
Across the country, similar scenes of calm and orderly voting were reported at all polling centres, with party executives and independent observers describing the exercise as one of the most credible and well-organised flagbearer primaries in the party’s history.
Celebrations at Asylum Down
Supporters continued to throng the headquarters from mid-morning, with singing, dancing and horn-hooting intensifying later in the evening.
Jubilation peaked when Dr. Bawumia arrived at the headquarters at about 8:40 p.m., and later when the EC formally announced the results declaring him winner.
Victory Speech and Unity Call
In his victory speech, Dr. Bawumia expressed profound gratitude to delegates for the confidence reposed in him and paid tribute to his fellow aspirants for what he described as a competitive but respectful contest.
“I have a duty to the delegates who stood by me, and also to those who found worthy ideas in my brothers who contested me. My election today communicates a broad-based appeal across the party, and I must draw directly on that capital to unite the party as one of the crucial steps towards winning power in 2028,” he said.
He pledged to engage all levels of the party members, including reaching out to aggrieved members and elders, to rebuild trust and cohesion.
Dr. Bawumia also paid special tribute to the youth of the party, describing them as the backbone of the opposition NPP.
“Every voice matters. Every opinion is worth considering, and every suggestion is vital to building a formidable strategy,” he stated and added, “The future of our party rests on your energy, dedication and desire to see a vibrant political vehicle. Any time the youth rise, the great elephant soars.”
The former Vice President further stressed the need for internal discipline, warning that electoral success would be difficult without it.
“An army that lacks discipline will struggle to win its battles. The NPP must strengthen discipline in our operations, communications and the conduct of our members,” he noted.
Aspirants Accept Results
Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, who placed second, accepted the outcome of the primary and urged his supporters to rally behind Dr. Bawumia.
“Let us all throw our support behind Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Unity is key, but unity must come with respect for each other’s views. In elections, you win or lose, and if you lose, you must accept it graciously,” he said.
Kwabena Agyei Agyepong described the outcome as an opportunity for the party to reconnect with its core values, while Dr. Bryan Acheampong and Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum also congratulated Dr. Bawumia and pledged their support to strengthen party structures ahead of 2028.
Acting Chairman of the NPP, Smith Dankwa Buttey, assured supporters and the general public that the national executive would give full backing to the new flagbearer as the party positions itself to reclaim power from the ruling National Democratic Congress (NDC) in the 2028 general election.
By Ebenezer Amponsah