A former Presidential spokesperson, Koku Anyidoho, has drawn parallels between the late President John Evans Atta Mills and Dr Mahamudu Bawumia following the latter’s election as flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Following Dr Bawumia’s victory in the NPP internal polls held on Saturday, January 31, 2026, Mr Anyidoho stated that history has a very interesting way of repeating itself. The Chief Executive Officer of the Atta Mills Institute highlighted similarities between the political trajectories of both leaders.
Mr Anyidoho has consistently compared Dr Bawumia’s leadership style and policy consistency to that of the late President Mills, whom he served as Presidential spokesperson and Communications Director. He has previously praised both leaders for what he describes as visionary and consistent policy approaches that stand in contrast to shifting political positions.
The former NDC Deputy General Secretary has cited President Atta Mills’ Better Ghana Agenda Policy from the 2006 to 2008 election period as an example of clear and consistent political messaging. He has similarly commended Dr Bawumia’s digitalization agenda as a cohesive and well articulated vision that demonstrates policy consistency.
Dr Bawumia secured a decisive victory in the NPP presidential primary with 110,645 votes, representing 56.48 percent of the total valid votes cast by more than 211,000 delegates across over 300 polling centres nationwide. His closest competitor, Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, obtained 46,554 votes while Dr Bryan Acheampong followed with 36,303 votes.
Mr Anyidoho has historically noted that both President Mills and Dr Bawumia served as vice presidents before becoming presidential candidates, observing that each brought distinct visions while navigating complex political environments. He has emphasised the importance of principled leadership rooted in national interest.
The Atta Mills Institute founder has maintained that strong leadership requires looking at the bigger picture and moving beyond petty considerations. He has advocated for transformational and transgenerational agendas that transcend partisan politics and embrace long term visionary plans for sustainable national growth.
Following the primary, Dr Bawumia called for unity within the NPP and stressed that the victory belongs to all party members. He urged supporters to work together to transform the primary win into electoral success in the 2028 general elections, emphasising that achieving anything precious requires hard work, resilience and willingness to withstand difficult circumstances.
The NPP has urged all members to respect the outcome and rally behind the newly elected flagbearer as the party positions itself to challenge the governing NDC in the next electoral cycle.
