BY Daniel Bampoe
A group of New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidates who contested the 2024 general elections has formally declared its support for former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s candidature as flagbearer of the party ahead of the January 31, 2026 presidential primaries.
The declaration was made at a press conference held on Thursday, January 8, 2026, as the party intensifies preparations toward selecting a leader to steer it into the 2028 general elections.
The candidates explained that although some members of the group had previously supported Dr. Bawumia in their individual capacities, the current endorsement is the result of a collective decision reached after extensive internal deliberations.
According to them, the decision followed broad consultations with key party structures at the grassroots level, including polling station executives, electoral area coordinators, constituency executives, former constituency executives, councils of elders and party patrons across their respective constituencies.
They said the endorsement is intended to reinforce and complement an earlier declaration of support made by 63 Members of Parliament who won seats in the 2024 parliamentary elections and are currently representing the NPP in Parliament.
Together, the candidates noted, these declarations send a strong signal to party delegates and the general public that a significant majority of the party’s elected representatives from the 2024 elections are united behind Dr. Bawumia’s bid to lead the party once again.
Addressing concerns about motivation, the candidates stressed that their decision was not driven by personal ambition, inducement or self-interest.
They maintained that whether or not individual members of the group intend to contest the party’s future parliamentary primaries ahead of the 2028 elections is irrelevant to their collective resolve.
They categorically denied any suggestion that they had been induced, compelled or coerced into endorsing Dr. Bawumia, insisting that their position was reached freely and in good faith.
The candidates said feedback from a broad spectrum of stakeholders in their constituencies informed their decision. These stakeholders, they explained, included youth groups, market women, farmers, fisherfolk, business owners, opinion leaders, religious leaders and traditional authorities.
From these engagements, they concluded that there is a broad and growing consensus within the party and among well-meaning Ghanaians that Dr. Bawumia is best placed among the current aspirants to lead the NPP into the 2028 general elections.
They described Dr. Bawumia as a visionary leader with a proven track record of competence, integrity and commitment to national development. His two-term tenure as Vice President, they argued, has equipped him with the experience and insight required to lead the party and the country.
They cited his technical expertise in economics and finance, his leadership style, and his empathy for ordinary Ghanaians as key attributes that distinguish him from other contenders.
The candidates further asserted that Dr. Bawumia has been the most consequential Vice President in the history of Ghana’s Fourth Republic, despite the constitutionally limited role of the office. With the consent and backing of President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, they said, Dr. Bawumia personally championed several major policy initiatives that have shaped the Akufo-Addo administration.
Prominent among these initiatives, according to the candidates, is Ghana’s digital transformation agenda. They cited the introduction and rollout of the Ghana Card, mobile money interoperability and the digitisation of public records and services as reforms that have improved efficiency, transparency and financial inclusion across the country.
On the economic front, the candidates highlighted Dr. Bawumia’s role as chair of the Economic Management Team, particularly during periods of severe economic difficulty.
They pointed to the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme—comprising Gold for Reserves, Gold for Forex and Gold for Oil—as a key intervention initiated by Dr. Bawumia and implemented by the Bank of Ghana and the Precious Minerals Marketing Company, now GoldBod.
They argued that the programme helped stabilise Ghana’s macroeconomic indicators at a time when the country was grappling with the compounded effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, energy sector debt and the cost of the banking sector clean-up.
They further claimed that the programme has since become the foundation upon which the current NDC administration’s economic recovery narrative is built.
The candidates also credited Dr. Bawumia with supporting major infrastructure projects under the Akufo-Addo government, including road construction, investments in education and health facilities, and the Agenda 111 hospital project aimed at expanding healthcare delivery nationwide.
While acknowledging the credentials and contributions of other flagbearer aspirants within the NPP, the candidates said they were not convinced that any of them currently match Dr. Bawumia’s pedigree, experience, vision, intellectual depth, integrity, humility and national appeal.
For these reasons, they described him as the most prepared, formidable and winnable candidate to lead the party into the 2028 elections.
They further outlined Dr. Bawumia’s vision for the future, which includes leveraging digital technology to drive economic growth and improve governance, promoting industrialisation and private sector-led development to create jobs and reduce poverty, expanding critical infrastructure in roads, energy, water and digital connectivity, and prioritising education, healthcare and skills training as part of human capital development.
Additional elements of this vision, according to the candidates, include modernising agriculture through technology and value-added processing, strengthening institutions to promote good governance and fight corruption, and deepening the role in regional integration and trade within West Africa.
Beyond national policy, the candidates said Dr. Bawumia has proposed specific reforms aimed at improving the welfare of NPP grassroots members who play a central role in winning political power for the party.
These proposals include guaranteeing a minimum of 10 high-level government appointments per constituency, establishing a welfare database to capture members’ needs in areas such as healthcare, education, employment and access to capital, and introducing constituency-based budgeting to decentralise contract awards and nurture local entrepreneurs.
The candidates commended Dr. Bawumia for his efforts at promoting unity and cohesion within the party, describing him as a unifying figure capable of strengthening the NPP’s internal structures ahead of the 2028 elections.
They pledged to work closely with him and the wider party membership to secure victory in both the presidential primaries and the general elections.
They concluded by calling on all NPP members, supporters and Ghanaians to rally behind Dr. Bawumia’s candidature, expressing confidence that his leadership and policy agenda would advance the development of the country.
The statement ended with prayers for Ghana, the New Patriotic Party and Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, whom the candidates described as the party’s prospective flagbearer and, by the grace of God, a future President of the Republic.
