Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum
Former Minister of Education, Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum, has filed his nomination to contest the flagbearership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), presenting himself as a “can-do” candidate who delivers results rather than rhetoric.
Addressing party supporters after submitting his forms at the NPP headquarters in Accra yesterday, Dr. Adutwum pledged to run a clean, respectful, and issues-driven campaign that would reflect his values and track record.
“I am going to wage a very clean campaign, a campaign that will tell you about what I’m going to do and what I will do for my party and for my nation. A campaign without acrimony, without insults, and full of respect. That is what my campaign will be about,” he stated.
He expressed confidence that by January 31, 2026, when the NPP delegates go to the polls, he would emerge victorious as the party’s flagbearer.
“Everyone now understands that the journey has begun; a journey to move around the country to campaign. By January 31, 2026… it will be Dr. Adutwum who will be elected the flagbearer of the NPP,” he declared.
Humble Beginnings
Dr. Adutwum reflected on his modest upbringing, recalling how he spent his childhood on a cocoa farm in the Ashanti and Western regions with uneducated parents.
“I never expected that one day I will be here, filing my nomination to contest for the flagbearership of the New Patriotic Party,” he said, framing his journey as an example of resilience, opportunity, and the power of education.
He urged delegates to judge him not by promises but by his record of service as Minister for Education under former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo.
“I began my work transforming public schools, bringing STEM education to Ghana, expanding TVET education, and now the testimony is there for you to see. What I have done is there for everyone to see. I only do evidence-based communication,” he noted.
“Doer and Transformer”
Responding to suggestions that his calm demeanor made him less visible compared to other political actors, Dr. Adutwum insisted that his results speak louder than words.
“Some say Adutwum is too good, but he is so quiet. I have a backbone of steel. If I built schools in America and came to Ghana to manage the Ministry of Education, why do you say Adutwum is so quiet? I am respectful, I am a doer and a transformer, not a talker,” he said.
He pointed to achievements under his leadership, including inaugurating 18 schools in a single day, to demonstrate his commitment to action before words.
“I am the politician who does the work before I talk about it. Some people say it, but they are not able to do it. That is the difference. Adutwum will do it,” he emphasised.
A Vision Beyond the Party
While positioning himself for party leadership, Dr. Adutwum also addressed Ghana’s wider development struggles, arguing that successive governments had made contributions but failed to fundamentally transform the nation.
“President Nkrumah did his part, President Busia did his part, and others like Afrifa, Ankrah, Acheampong, Hilla Limann, and Rawlings also did theirs. President Kufuor, President Mills, President Mahama, and President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo came and did bigger things. But in spite of all this, Ghana has not become like the Western countries, which means there is something fundamentally wrong,” he said.
He cited Ghana’s recent appeal to Singapore for development support as evidence of how far the country had fallen behind.
“Recently, Ghana went to Singapore begging for them to come and help us. But in 1963, when the then Prime Minister of Singapore visited Ghana, our country was far ahead of Singapore in terms of development. That means we need a different kind of leadership,” he argued.
Looking Forward
Dr. Adutwum assured delegates that his candidacy would not only be about the NPP’s internal renewal but also about laying a fresh foundation for Ghana’s future. “We will shape the foundation of our party and the nation,” he promised, presenting himself as a leader who can blend humility, respect, and action-oriented leadership.
With his nomination filed, the former Education Minister joins a competitive race for the NPP flagbearership, positioning himself as the quiet achiever who delivers results rather than promises. “I have a can-do spirit. I do it before I talk about it. That is the difference. And I will do it for Ghana,” he concluded.
By Ebenezer K. Amponsah