“Who would have thought that Mahama will come back again and be president of Ghana?” That was the rhetorical question the 2024 NPP presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, posed.
Interacting with members of the Young Executive Forum (YEF) as part of his Thank You Tour of the UK, the former Vice President said the outcome of the 2024 election stunned even the most seasoned observers of Ghanaian politics.
“Nobody would have thought that, but that is exactly what happened,” he said, shaking his head. “His fourth go at it, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024, he won in 2024, like he did in 2012.”
Dr. Bawumia used the opportunity to reflect on what he called a historically rare political phenomenon: a former president returning to power after being voted out.
“Our political history suggests that it is usually very difficult for a first-time presidential candidate to win an election in Ghana. I don’t know why that is, but Ghanaians want you to come more than once.”
He traced the pattern: “John Agyekum Kufuor came back in 2000 after 1996. President John Mills tried in 2000, 2004, and then won in 2008. Nana Akufo-Addo also went three times before he won. Mahama’s win in 2012 was unusual.
“Remember, our whole strategy in 2012 was to face Mills. Then Mills passed away. May his soul rest in peace. The NDC switched to Mahama. They played funeral songs all the way to victory. We couldn’t even campaign properly, it would have looked insensitive.”
Now, he said, the NDC’s 2024 win was not a matter of strength but of opportunity.
“The NDC has used Mahama again and again. But in 2028, they will have to bring a new candidate. I believe we will have an advantage, all things being equal, over that new candidate.”
Dr. Bawumia was also frank about the NPP’s internal failings.
“There’s no doubt… we didn’t get everything right. We got quite a few things wrong. On my own behalf, on behalf of the party and the government, I apologise to all of you for us not getting things right that we should have gotten.”
Still, he was confident that the NPP had learned its lessons.
“If, by the grace of God, we have another opportunity, I believe that we will get many things right because we’ve learned the lessons of where we are going. I’m very optimistic about 2028.”
He dismissed what he described as false promises made by the NDC to win power in 2024, arguing that within just a few months of taking office, the government was being exposed.
“They said they were going to bring down the cost of kenkey and the cost of living. I don’t know, have you noticed the reduction in prices in Ghana?” he asked rhetorically. “No. Prices are rather going up.”
He continued: “They lied to cocoa farmers. They said they would raise the price of a bag of cocoa from ¢3,100 to ¢7,000. Now they say they had the wrong information. Cocoa farmers are not happy.
“They said galamsey would stop. It’s rather increasing. Teachers were promised that the licensure exam would be abolished. Now they say they won’t touch it. Double track? They said they’d end it within the first year. Today, they say 2027.”
Dr. Bawumia was particularly scathing about the NDC’s flagship promise.
“They told us about a 24-hour economy. This is their flagship policy. But it didn’t appear in their budget. And how can you have a 24-hour economy with dumsor at the same time?”
He suggested that just a few months into the NDC’s administration, “they are getting exposed,” and warned that dumsor, or power outages, are “likely to get worse.”
But he also made a case for reflection.
“You remember that when Kufuor left office, he wasn’t very popular. But today, he is one of the most admired presidents in our history. I believe that while people sit down and reflect over the next four years, especially when they contrast what NDC is doing, people will appreciate the work Nana Akufo-Addo’s government also did for Ghana.”
Ending on a hopeful note, Dr. Bawumia declared, “These are the reasons I believe we have a good shot at the 2028 election. I believe that we are in a very good position to win this election, and we should be very, very enthusiastic. I want to count on all of your support.”
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