The National Democratic Congress (NDC) has congratulated the New Patriotic Party (NPP) on conducting a peaceful presidential primary but has raised serious doubts about the ruling party’s ability to unite behind its flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia. Speaking on behalf of the NDC, Deputy Director of Elections Mahdi Jibril highlighted the lingering tensions from fiery exchanges during the primaries, particularly Kennedy Agyapong’s scathing accusations against Bawumia.
Jibril pointed out that Agyapong, a prominent contender, had publicly branded Bawumia as lacking credibility—a charge that now hangs over the vice president’s leadership as the NPP’s chosen candidate for 2028. “It will be difficult for them to unite because of how Kennedy Agyapong accused Dr. Bawumia of not being credible, and now he’s the flagbearer,” Jibril stated. He warned that other candidates who lost the primary but must now work closely with Bawumia would be “pretending” in their support, casting a shadow over any post-primary reconciliation efforts. The NDC has taken careful notes of these dynamics and pledged to leverage them effectively during their own primaries and the lead-up to the 2028 general elections.
The divisions run deeper, according to Jibril, with NPP’s internal fractures exposed by criticisms leveled at President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo. He expressed profound disappointment in the President’s post-primary speech, which called for unity. “Apart from Dr. Bawumia, all four other candidates accused Nana Addo of scattering the party,” Jibril noted, arguing that the President is ill-suited to preach reconciliation. Critics within NPP have lambasted Akufo-Addo’s “bottom-up” approach to party elections as divisive and imposed, alienating key stakeholders and exacerbating rifts.
Jibril suggested that the NPP could have chosen a more unifying figure, such as former President J.A. Kufuor, to deliver the unity address instead. “Nana Addo is not the best person to give a speech on unity in the party after imposing a bottom-up approach,” he remarked. Even if the NPP manages superficial unity, Jibril predicted it would be “based on pretenses” driven by the high stakes of 2028. The NDC, he affirmed, will focus on strong grassroots mobilization and flawless execution when their turn comes, learning valuable lessons from the NPP’s turbulent primary.
Story by: Ohemaa Adusi-Poku/Ahotoronline.com