By Daniel Bampoe
Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential candidate, has called on party members to commit themselves to a united rebuilding process as the party prepares for the 2028 presidential and parliamentary elections.
In a message to delegates at the NPP’s National Delegates Conference, Dr Bawumia said one of the developments that had encouraged him most since the 2024 elections was the renewed commitment he had witnessed among party members to rebuilding the organisation.
He expressed appreciation to the members whose continued service, despite the disappointment of the 2024 election outcome, had helped sustain the party through a difficult period.
Dr Bawumia acknowledged that, as the candidate who led the NPP into the 2024 election, he had a particular responsibility in the rebuilding process.
He said this responsibility required humility to examine areas where the party fell short and the patience to listen to members and Ghanaians, including when their concerns were difficult to hear.
According to him, the honesty required for the rebuilding process was owed not only to NPP members but also to Ghanaians whose confidence the party hopes to regain.
He noted that the journey to the National Delegates Conference had involved a series of internal elections, beginning at the polling-station level and continuing through electoral area, constituency and regional elections.
At each stage, he said, rank-and-file members had demonstrated commitment by giving their time to organise, participate and take up responsibilities within the party.
Dr Bawumia said the work carried out at the grassroots had brought the NPP to the point where new national executives would be elected, with the party’s local structures renewed for the work ahead.
He also paid particular tribute to party members who continued to serve after losing internal elections.
“It takes generosity to accept disappointment and still be ready to help our party succeed,” he said, stressing that those elected to leadership positions had a corresponding responsibility to demonstrate the same generosity towards their colleagues.
He called for deliberate efforts to include every party member in the rebuilding process, arguing that reconciliation following internal elections could help restore confidence and strengthen relationships within the party.
Reflecting on the conference theme, “One Party, One Purpose; United for Victory,” Dr Bawumia said every member should feel that the NPP belongs to them and that their contribution has value.
He said the party’s purpose must remain clear: to seek the opportunity to serve Ghana and improve the lives of its people. The presidential candidate further argued that the confidence the NPP builds internally must help prepare it to regain the confidence of the Ghanaian electorate.
He said the national executives elected at the conference would inherit both the progress achieved through the reorganisation process and the responsibility of carrying that work forward.
Dr Bawumia urged the incoming leadership to remain attentive to the concerns of members at the polling-station and grassroots levels, including those who need encouragement, those whose concerns require attention and colleagues who may need to be welcomed back into active party work.
He pledged to work with the new national executives in that spirit, stressing the importance of ensuring that members are able to reach the leadership and have their concerns heard.
The NPP flagbearer also expressed gratitude to the outgoing national executives and all those who contributed to organising the party’s internal electoral process. He said the service of those who had carried responsibility for the party during difficult periods deserved recognition as a new phase of leadership begins.
Turning his attention beyond the party, Dr Bawumia said the NPP must recognise that there are Ghanaians who will have to make a decision to trust the party again.
He said those citizens would expect the party to demonstrate what it had learnt from the 2024 election and how those lessons would translate into improvements in their lives.
