Former Vice President and 2024 flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has cautioned party members against pushing religious and tribal narratives.
Dr Bawumia warned that such a direction could be dangerous and divisive for the party and hinder its political comeback.
Speaking at the NPP’s National Chairmen Caucus Conference on Saturday, June 21, Dr. Bawumia said the party must resist attempts to explain its 2024 electoral defeat along religious and ethnic lines.
“People are going religious and tribal. That is dangerous. It’s very dangerous for us if you go in that direction,” he cautioned.
He stressed that the party’s loss in the 2024 elections had nothing to do with his Islamic faith or ethnic background, and urged party members to focus on unity rather than division.
“What is clear and is stated in black and white in the Prof Ocquaye report, as well as all the other studies, is that religion and tribe were not factors in the 2024 election defeat,” he said.
His comments follow recent suggestions by some party members, including Nhyiaeso MP Stephen Amoah, that Ghanaians were not yet ready to elect a non-Christian President.
However, Dr. Bawumia questioned whether the over 4.7 million votes he secured in the 2024 polls were all from Muslims or members of his ethnic group.
“My 4.7 million votes, were they all from Muslims? If that were the case, I wouldn’t have contested the flagbearership again because I’m not selfish,” he stated.
“It is very, very important, therefore, that we don’t allow people to come in with explanations that are not made up and that will not unite our party. We are a united party — people from all ethnic groups, all religions — that we are part of the family,” he added.
Meanwhile, the NPP’s National Executive Committee (NEC) has approved January 31, 2026, as the date for electing the party’s next presidential candidate for the 2028 general elections.
