
Member of Parliament for Weija-Gbawe, Jerry Ahmed Shaib, has revealed that former NPP flagbearer Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s swift concession in the 2024 presidential race almost cost the party its parliamentary seat in the constituency.
In a revealing interview on Asase Radio, later aired on Hayford TV, the MP shared that Dr. Bawumia’s early acknowledgement of defeat sowed confusion on the ground and gave the opposition NDC an apparent boost of morale when the parliamentary results were still pending.
“Sometimes when you’re in the studio discussing politics, you have to be cautious because your words can be taken out of context. But I always speak frankly,” Shaib said. “I must put it on record—His Excellency Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, the immediate past presidential candidate of the NPP, almost caused us to lose the Weija-Gbawe parliamentary seat.”
Shaib explained that although the Electoral Commission had concluded the presidential tally, it had not yet announced the parliamentary outcome. However, Bawumia’s concession sent the wrong signal that the NPP had suffered an across-the-board defeat.
“That announcement triggered celebrations from my opponent, who assumed I had also lost,” he said. “I had to stay alert and ensure that the Electoral Commission followed the proper procedures before declaring the final results.”
His comments highlight how a single political gesture—however honourable—can produce unintended ripple effects, especially in closely contested battlegrounds like Weija-Gbawe.