Former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has called on the newly elected flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to lead the party with clarity and purpose, following Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s landslide victory in the Saturday, January 31 presidential primary.
Addressing party members shortly after the final declaration by the Electoral Commission, Mr. Akufo-Addo offered a testimonial of his former deputy’s integrity, signaling a seamless transition of leadership as the party pivots toward the 2028 general elections.
“I know his mind, and I know his character. He is loyal to party principles,” former president Akufo-Addo remarked. He urged Dr. Bawumia to offer a focused leadership that would unite the various factions within the party following a hard-fought contest.
In his victory speech, a jubilant yet humble Dr. Bawumia pledged to run an “inclusive campaign,” reaching out specifically to the supporters of Kennedy Agyapong and Bryan Acheampong.
Consolidating the nearly 43% of the vote that went to his rivals will be his first major hurdle as he prepares to “break the cycle” in 2028.
As the NPP standard-bearer, Dr. Bawumia now faces the task of formulating a manifesto that balances the party’s traditional “Danquah-Busia-Dombo” values with the digital-first economic vision he has championed throughout his tenure as Vice President.
Dr. Bawumia’s victory was cemented by a broad-based endorsement from the party’s expanded delegate college.
He secured 110,643 votes, representing 56.48% of the total valid votes cast, effectively warding off a strong challenge from grassroots favorite Kennedy Ohene Agyapong.
The 2026 primary marked the first time the NPP utilized its newly expanded voter album, which grew to over 211,849 eligible delegates. This reform, adopted at the July 2025 National Annual Delegates Conference, included all former party card-bearing Ministers, MMDCEs, and TESCON presidents, a move intended to make the flagbearer selection more inclusive and less susceptible to localized influence.
Voting took place at 333 polling centers across all 275 constituencies. Despite isolated reports of minor friction, the process was widely lauded by local and international observers for its transparency and the heavy, yet professional, presence of the Ghana Police Service.
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