Bawumia Challenges NPP Rivals to Focus on Vision Over Identity Politics

Former Vice President Mahamudu Bawumia has called on his competitors in the New Patriotic Party’s leadership contest to abandon what he describes as divisive tribal and religious campaigning in favor of policy-based competition.

Speaking at the NPP New York 33rd Anniversary celebration on Sunday, Bawumia expressed frustration with rivals who he claims are using identity politics to undermine his candidacy for the party’s flagbearer position. The 2024 NPP presidential candidate urged opponents to focus on substantive leadership qualities instead.

“If you want to contest me, come with a vision, come with your ideas, come with your track record, come with your integrity, and let us decide,” Bawumia told the gathering of party faithful in New York.

The former vice president specifically criticized unnamed aspirants for suggesting delegates should reject him based on his Mamprusi ethnic background, claiming such candidates argue this would cost the party votes in Kusasi areas of northern Ghana. Bawumia dismissed these assertions as unsupported by electoral data.

“An aspirant has said delegates should not vote for me because I am a Mamprusi man and that I will lose votes in the Kusasi and other areas. This is very unfortunate and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the situation,” he revealed to the audience.

Bawumia argued that some competitors are deliberately ignoring lessons from the NPP’s 2024 electoral defeat, choosing instead to mislead party delegates with what he termed “religious and tribal bigotry and propaganda.” He warned that such tactics could damage party unity ahead of the 2028 general election.

The comments reflect growing tensions within the NPP as various factions position themselves for the leadership succession following the party’s loss to John Mahama’s National Democratic Congress in December 2024. Bawumia, who served as running mate to former President Nana Akufo-Addo, is widely expected to seek the party’s nomination for the next presidential cycle.

His criticism of identity-based campaigning comes as the NPP prepares for internal primaries to select its next flagbearer. The party has historically prided itself on national unity across ethnic and religious lines, making Bawumia’s concerns about tribal rhetoric particularly sensitive.

“In a desperate attempt to win votes, they totally ignore the data and findings on why we lost the 2024 election and want to mislead delegates and the party wings with such propaganda,” Bawumia stated, suggesting competitors should focus on policy solutions rather than demographic appeals.

The former vice president’s call for vision-based competition appears aimed at elevating the discourse within the NPP leadership race while positioning himself as a unifying candidate above factional politics. His emphasis on data-driven analysis also reflects his background as an economist and his role in the previous administration’s economic policies.

As the NPP begins its internal reorganization following the 2024 defeat, Bawumia’s comments signal what could become a defining theme in the party’s leadership contest. The outcome will significantly influence the opposition party’s strategy for challenging President Mahama’s government in future elections.