The Member of Parliament for Bimbilla and former Minister for Defence, Dominic Nitiwul, has dismissed claims that support for Dr Mahamudu Bawumia in Northern Ghana is driven by shared ethnicity, insisting that political backing in the region has always been based on competence and performance.
Speaking during Dr Bawumia’s visit to Yendi ahead of the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) presidential primary scheduled for January 31, 2026, Mr Nitiwul said history clearly shows that voters in the north do not support candidates simply because of where they come from.
“Since the beginning of Ghana, Northerners have never in their lives voted because the person comes from the north. Northerners, especially the UP and NPP, have never voted because the person is a northerner,” he stated.
To support his argument, Mr Nitiwul cited historical precedents, noting that the Northern People’s Party, despite having more Members of Parliament, supported Dr Kofi Abrefa Busia of the Ghana Congress Party to lead the opposition in Parliament.
He also referenced the NPP’s own political history, pointing out that Northern members of the party backed John Agyekum Kufuor and later Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo as presidential candidates and presidents, even when there were aspirants from Northern Ghana.
“Today we’re not rooting for Dr Mahamadu Bawumia because he is Northerner. We’re rooting him because he is the most competent person. He is the one that will give us power in 2028,” Mr Nitiwul said.
Expressing confidence in Dr Bawumia’s electoral prospects, he added:
“He is going to win the elections Insha allah. By the grace of the almighty, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia is going to be the president of the republic of Ghana in 2029.”
Mr Nitiwul’s remarks come amid ongoing debates within the NPP over regional support ahead of the party’s presidential primary, as aspirants intensify engagements with delegates across the country.
