BY Daniel Bampoe
Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has been officially declared the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate for the 2028 general election after securing a decisive and commanding victory in the party’s primary held on Saturday January 31, 2026.
The former Vice President crossed the required 50-percent-plus-one threshold, eliminating the need for a run-off and firmly establishing himself as the party’s choice to lead it into the next electoral contest.
Certified results released by the Electoral Commission after the collation of votes from all 333 polling centres across Ghana showed that Dr. Bawumia polled 110,643 votes, representing 56.48% of the total valid votes cast by over 200,000 accredited delegates.
His closest challenger, former Assin Central MP Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, came in second with 46,554 votes (23.76%), while Abetifi MP, Dr. Bryan Acheampong placed third with 36,303 votes (18.53%). Education Minister Dr. Yaw Osei Adutwum trailed with 1,999 votes (1.02%), with Kwabena Agyei Agyepong grabbing 402 votes (0.21%) and rejected ballots accounting for the rest.
The results reveal a wide margin of victory, with Bawumia leading Agyapong by more than 32 percentage points, underscoring his dominance across the party’s delegate base. Analysts say the outcome reflects strong support for Bawumia within the NPP’s grassroots structures and signals broad confidence in his leadership as the party prepares for the next political cycle.
Regionally, Dr. Bawumia recorded victories in 14 out of the 16 regions, with only the Volta Region, won by Bryan Acheampong, and the Central Region, won by Agyapong.
Despite these exceptions, his national advantage remained overwhelming, highlighting his widespread appeal within the party.
In his victory speech delivered at the NPP headquarters in Accra, Dr. Bawumia expressed gratitude to delegates and called for unity following what he described as a hard-fought internal contest.
He stressed that the party must now close ranks, listen to supporters, and rebuild momentum ahead of 2028.
“This victory belongs to the entire NPP family,” Bawumia said.
“We must now unite, reconcile, and work together. To those who supported other aspirants and to those who stayed away in the last election because of concerns, I hear you. The NPP will listen, rebuild, and deliver for Ghana.”
Dr Bawumia called for unity, discipline, and active engagement as the party gears up for the 2028 general elections.
He underscored the need for discipline within the party, pledging to work with leadership to ensure orderly conduct in communications, operations, and interactions with the public.
Highlighting the party’s tradition of selecting leaders based on loyalty, competence, and service, Dr. Bawumia noted that the delegates’ choice represents a broad-based mandate across the NPP.
He urged all members, regardless of whom they supported, to embrace the results and work together to strengthen the party.
“Political parties are assemblies of like-minded people. After competition comes cooperation,” he said, emphasizing that commitment to the NPP should not be conditional on personal preferences.
The primary were widely praised by party officials and observers as peaceful, orderly, and well-organized, with voting taking place smoothly across all regions.
Jubilation erupted in several constituencies as supporters celebrated the outcome, while rival aspirants acknowledged the results and issued concession messages aimed at promoting party cohesion.
Party insiders attribute Bawumia’s victory to effective grassroots mobilization, strong digital outreach, and the continuity of his national profile from his years as Vice President. His campaign team described the win as a reflection of deep loyalty within party structures and confidence in his ability to lead the NPP back to power.
With the primaries concluded, the NPP now shifts focus to internal reconciliation, consolidating support, and preparing for a fiercely contested 2028 election against the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) and other challengers. Political observers believe Bawumia’s emphatic win offers the party a strong foundation—but note that the key test ahead will be how effectively the NPP heals divisions and rallies behind its new flagbearer in the years to come.
