The National Communications Director of the opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Richard Ahiagbah, has debunked claims that the party is indirectly positioning its 2024 flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, as the obvious choice for the 2028 elections through its post-election thank you tour.
According to him, the tour is a party-led initiative and open to all prospective flagbearer aspirants—a shift from the traditional flagbearer-led tours, aimed at promoting unity within the party.
Speaking on Accra-based JoyNews’ The Pulse on Wednesday, April 23, Ahiagbah revealed that the former Vice President had initially planned to embark on a personal thank you tour but had to wait and join the party’s unified approach.
“The party is sponsoring the tour. This is a clear departure from what used to be the case, where candidates themselves led their own thanksgiving tours around the country.
“My understanding is that the Office of the Vice President wanted to do this much earlier, even during the election review period. But he had to defer to the party’s position to have a joint effort,” he said.
Mr. Ahiagbah further explained that the tour forms part of the party’s broader strategy to regroup and energize its grassroots base in preparation for the 2028 general elections.
“It’s a collective party decision to mobilize and galvanize our grassroots towards regrouping and positioning ourselves for victory in 2028. This is not the agenda of any flagbearer; it is the party’s agenda to thank our members for their hard work and honest efforts,” he stressed.
The tour, which commenced at the party’s headquarters in Accra on Wednesday, will travel across the country starting Saturday, April 26, and is expected to end on June 4.
