In families, companies, football clubs, and traditional systems, leadership is not given simply because someone has been around the longest. It is given to the person best prepared, most capable, and suited for the moment. Long service earns respect, but it does not automatically make someone the right leader.
Looking at Ghana’s politics calmly and logically, much of the dislike toward Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is hard to explain. Some of it cannot even be understood from a commonsense perspective. Beyond his rapid rise, much of the hostility seems rooted in perception, prejudice, and discomfort with his effectiveness, not in facts or performance.
Dr. Bawumia did not enter politics by accident. Before joining the NPP, he distinguished himself professionally, becoming Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana in his forties because of his intelligence, discipline, and deep understanding of economics. He is calm, respectful, and measured, a style rare in our politics, and oddly, one that has unsettled some observers.
Some of the dislike is quietly linked to identity. He is a northerner in a political space long dominated by southerners. He is a Muslim in a country where Christians are the majority. These factors are rarely discussed openly but appear in the intensity and unfairness of the scrutiny he receives.
Yet the greatest misconception is expecting him, as Vice President, to bear full responsibility for the challenges Ghana faced in 2024. From a commonsense perspective, this is unreasonable. Even if the Pope, the World Bank Director, or Elon Musk had contested the presidency on behalf of the NPP, they would have faced the same complex mix of economic pressures, political currents, and social factors that shaped the outcome. The election was never about one person. It was about circumstances beyond the control of any Vice President.
When mistakes happen, he is blamed more than others. When successes occur, his role is downplayed. This is not fair accountability. It is selective judgment, often amplified by prejudice. No single individual, however talented, can carry the weight of an entire administration alone.
Across Africa, politics driven by envy, bias, and unreasonable expectations has pushed many capable individuals away from public service. When intelligent people are attacked unfairly, leadership spaces are left to the less capable who can endure the noise. Ghana has been fortunate to have leaders like Dr. Bawumia who bring intellect, global experience, and policy seriousness into public life.
This does not mean he is flawless. Every leader must be held accountable. But judgment must be fair, grounded in facts, and based on vision and performance, not on where someone comes from, their faith, or resentment at their rapid rise.
For NPP delegates, this is a moment for calm reflection. The question is not who has waited the longest or who fits old expectations. The question is who is most capable, prepared, and equipped to lead Ghana in today’s challenging world.
Leadership is not a reward. It is a responsibility. Sometimes it comes to those who challenge old assumptions about region, religion, or identity. When such moments are handled wisely, institutions strengthen and countries progress.
At minimum, Dr. Bawumia deserves a fair chance and fair judgment, based on competence and vision, not prejudice or unfounded dislike.
In the end, this is not just about Dr. Bawumia.
It is about the Ghana we want to build.
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