Investigative journalist Manasseh Azure Awuni has challenged claims that Dr Mahamudu Bawumia doesn’t deserve to lead the New Patriotic Party in 2028 because he’s an “outsider,” pointing to recent party history that contradicts such arguments. His intervention comes as ethnic undertones continue surfacing in the NPP’s internal flagbearer race.
Referencing the political rise of former NPP Chairman Freddie Blay, Manasseh argued that accusations being directed at Dr Bawumia ignore recent party history. He recalled that Freddie Blay joined the NPP in 2011 and became First Vice Chairman three years later, noting that Blay later became Acting National Chairman before securing the substantive chairmanship in 2018.
The comparison carries weight because Blay was a member of the Convention People’s Party but resigned to join the New Patriotic Party after being criticized by some CPP stalwarts for not campaigning for CPP flagbearer Paa Kwesi Nduom, instead endorsing NPP presidential candidate Nana Akufo-Addo. His trajectory from CPP to NPP leadership within seven years demonstrates that the party has historically accepted and elevated figures who weren’t born into the Danquah-Busia tradition.
According to Manasseh, if loyalty and origin are the standards for party leadership, then those faulting Dr Bawumia should remember that figures like Blay didn’t emerge from within the traditional NPP fold either. The journalist’s point cuts directly at the hypocrisy of using “outsider” status as disqualification when the party has recently elevated others who came from outside.
Manasseh described the comments as extreme and reflective of a broader “obsession among some who view the NPP as an ethnic preserve”. According to him, Dr Bawumia is being targeted not on competence but ethnicity and religion, noting that “he is the only non-Akan in the flagbearer contest, and his background keeps dripping from the venomous lips of his opponents”.
The journalist went further to highlight Dr Bawumia’s contributions during critical moments in party history. He stated that some top NPP members he interviewed said Dr Bawumia’s acceptance to testify during the 2012 election petition was an act of bravery that could have jeopardized his political career. That testimony before the Supreme Court became a defining moment in Ghana’s democratic journey and significantly boosted the NPP’s credibility.
Manasseh insisted that Dr Bawumia’s service to the party, including his work on the 2016 campaign and beyond, cannot be dismissed. The former Vice President served in that role from 2017 until early 2025, playing a key role in two successive electoral victories before the party’s 2024 defeat. To characterize such a figure as an outsider after nearly two decades of service stretches the definition beyond recognition.
The journalist urged critics to examine the Vice President based on merit and contribution rather than ethnic identity. He wrote, emphasizing that the NPP’s successes in recent election cycles benefited significantly from Dr Bawumia’s contributions. The party won in 2016 and 2020 with Bawumia as running mate and then Vice President, making arguments about his inadequate service difficult to sustain.
Manasseh has publicly declared his preference for Dr Bawumia to lead the NPP into the 2028 general elections, stating in a post on June 22, 2025, that he is not politically neutral and has a vested interest in who governs the country. He added that he considers himself a Ghanaian first before his career as a journalist.
Reflecting on his voting history, Manasseh revealed that he voted for John Dramani Mahama in 2012, switched to Nana Akufo-Addo in 2016, and chose not to vote in the 2024 election. His willingness to shift support based on performance rather than party loyalty gives his current position particular credibility. It’s harder to dismiss his views as partisan cheerleading when he’s demonstrated independence at the ballot box.
Manasseh emphasized that for Ghana’s democracy to thrive, both the NDC and NPP must put forward credible candidates, stating, “It is in the interest of our democracy and the well-being of Ghanaians that both parties put their best foot forward”. He concluded that his future vote will depend on how both parties perform in the coming years, but as it stands, Bawumia is the candidate most likely to earn his vote should the NDC fail to inspire confidence with its leadership and direction.
The Freddie Blay comparison is particularly effective because Blay’s NPP journey is recent and well-documented. After joining the NPP, he stood for and got elected to the post of Vice Chairman of the party in April 2014, and after the party expelled its Chairman Paul Afoko, it appointed Blay as its acting chairman. He stood for and was elected as substantive Chairman of the party at an NPP party national conference in Koforidua that took place from 7 to 8 July 2018.
Some within the party questioned Blay’s credentials at the time. A former Chief of Staff under the Kufuor administration, Kwadwo Mpiani, insisted it was a mistake for Freddie Blay to have been elected First Vice Chair in the first place since he has no roots in the Danquah-Busia tradition. Yet Blay went on to lead the party successfully through two electoral victories.
The controversy surrounding Blay’s chairmanship election included accusations about his purchase of 275 buses for party constituencies. In the prelude to the Chairmanship race, lots of controversies were generated when Blay promised and eventually bought 275 buses for the 275 constituencies of the party for a purported cost of 11 million dollars, with the opposition asking for an investigation and Blay’s opponent in the election calling it vote-buying. Despite those controversies, the party accepted and elevated him.
Manasseh argued that while Bawumia was indeed part of a regime that failed Ghanaians in many respects, he cannot be singled out as the face of that failure when other key figures in the same administration are now his internal opponents. He wrote, “You cannot pretend Bawumia was the only person in the Akufo-Addo government. If he failed, then all of them failed, and that includes those now claiming moral superiority to lead the party”.
Manasseh further noted that it is not unusual in Ghanaian politics for presidential hopefuls to lose on their first try, pointing to historical precedents: “Kufuor lost in 1996 before winning in 2000. President Atta Mills lost twice before winning in 2008. President Akufo-Addo lost twice before winning in 2016. President Mahama lost twice before winning again in 2024”.
According to him, political maturity demands that parties field their most unifying and capable candidates, not necessarily those with the cleanest escape from criticism, stating, “At a period of heightened acrimony and division threatening the party’s chances at returning to power, the party needs a unifying figure. And I see that in Bawumia”.
In a Facebook response, Manasseh praised the Vice President’s tolerance, clarity of thought, and respect for the party and outsiders, stating, “I may not agree with him on everything, but he exhibits tolerance, clarity of thought, and respect for the party and outsiders”. He questioned Kennedy Agyapong’s consistency and leadership approach, asking, “At a time the party needs unity, don’t you think Bawumia is the most unifying force among the candidates who have declared their intentions to lead?”
The journalist’s intervention represents a significant voice in the NPP’s internal debate because Manasseh isn’t a party member and has demonstrated political independence. His assessment is based on observed political behavior, policy articulation, and the overall demeanor of the key figures vying for leadership of the NPP.
What makes the “outsider” argument particularly problematic is its selective application. If being born into the Danquah-Busia tradition is the criterion for leadership, then the party would need to explain why it elevated Freddie Blay so quickly after he joined from the CPP. If length of service matters, then Dr Bawumia’s nearly two decades with the party should count heavily in his favor.
The ethnic dimension cannot be ignored. When critics use coded language about “outsiders” and “aliens” while attacking the only non-Akan candidate in the race, the subtext becomes text. Manasseh warned that tribal politicking could alienate voters across the country. The NPP cannot credibly present itself as a national party if internal factions suggest that ethnic identity should disqualify certain members from leadership.
The Freddie Blay precedent matters because it happened recently, under circumstances many current party members remember well. The party faced internal crisis in 2015 when it expelled Chairman Paul Afoko, and Blay, who had only joined the NPP four years earlier, stepped in as acting chairman. The party not only accepted his leadership during that crisis but later elected him as substantive chairman despite his CPP background.
If the NPP could embrace Blay’s leadership after just four years of membership, arguments that Dr Bawumia remains an outsider after nearly twenty years ring hollow. The difference isn’t about party service or demonstrated loyalty. The difference is about ethnicity, and Manasseh’s willingness to call that out directly represents an important intervention in a debate that too often relies on euphemism.
Manasseh also took a swipe at attempts to reduce the flagbearer contest to wealth and financial muscle, stating, “I’ve heard that Bawumia has enough money to pump into the party. If the primary consideration for leading the NPP were money, then Chairman Wuntumi could as well be the NPP’s flagbearer”.
The journalist’s arguments won’t convince everyone, particularly those who genuinely believe ethnic identity should play a role in party leadership. But by pointing to the Freddie Blay precedent, Manasseh has exposed the inconsistency in “outsider” arguments and forced the debate onto more honest ground. Either the party accepts leaders based on merit and service regardless of origin, or it doesn’t. The Blay example proves it has done so recently, making current objections harder to justify.