By: Hon. Daniel Twumasi Kankam
In a recent public statement, Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia referred to the over 30,000 votes lost by the NPP in the Bawku zone during the 2024 elections as “just.” For a man who has consistently branded himself as a leader of data and economic analysis, such a remark is not only worrying but deeply unbefitting of his stature.
To appreciate the gravity of this misjudgment, one only needs to revisit the 2008 Ghana Presidential Elections. In that fiercely contested election, the late Prof. John Evans Atta Mills of the NDC won against the NPP’s Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo by the slimmest margin in Ghana’s political history:
• Atta Mills (NDC): 4,521,032 votes (50.23%)
• Nana Akufo-Addo (NPP): 4,480,446 votes (49.77%)
• Margin of Victory: 40,586 votes (Electoral Commission of Ghana, 2009).
This razor-thin difference handed the NDC power after eight years in opposition. In such a context, dismissing the loss of 30,000 votes in a single conflict-prone zone like Bawku as “just” is not only factually untenable but also strategically unfortunate.
The Context That Makes His Statement Even More Troubling
What makes Dr. Bawumia’s dismissal of the 30,000 votes even more problematic is the fact that he was the NPP’s running mate in the very 2008 elections that were decided by only 40,586 votes.
One would have expected that someone who personally experienced the pain of such a narrow defeat would be the first to underscore the importance of every single vote. Instead, his attempt to trivialize the Bawku zone votes reflects either a selective amnesia or a worrying attempt to downplay genuine electoral realities.
It is, therefore, not only disappointing but deeply ironic that a man who once stood at the center of the NPP’s narrowest loss would today brush off the significance of tens of thousands of votes; votes that could determine whether the party wins or loses in a future contest.
This is not the language of a man of data; it is the rhetoric of detachment.
The Unfulfilled Promise and the Burden of Tribal Politics
Even more troubling is Dr. Bawumia’s refusal to take responsibility for his own failed promises to the party. He was the one who confidently assured the NPP that he would deliver the Northern and Zongo votes; a pledge he repeated on countless platforms to win the confidence of delegates. Yet, when the results came in, he failed woefully to deliver on this promise, and to this day, he has refused to apologize to the party’s rank and file for misleading.
It is therefore hypocritical for him to turn around and accuse others of engaging in tribal politics. The truth is that Dr. Bawumia himself is the very embodiment and originator of tribal politics within the NPP. Instead of scapegoating others, he must accept the reality that his Zongo and Northern campaign narrative misled the party and proved electorally disastrous. What is required now is humility; an open apology to the delegates he deceived and to the entire party for such a strategic blunder; not blame-shifting.
Hon. Bryan Acheampong: A Leader Who Acknowledges Facts and Realities
Hon. Bryan Acheampong has emerged as a refreshing voice within the New Patriotic Party (NPP) precisely because he does not shy away from acknowledging facts, no matter how inconvenient they may be. His recent comments about the impact of the Mamprusi–Kusasi (Bawku) conflict on the party’s electoral fortunes are not emotional outbursts, but evidence-based assessments of the ground realities.
Unlike leaders who downplay setbacks for political expediency, Bryan understands that:
• Conflict zones like Bawku significantly affect voter turnout and party performance.
• Margins as small as 30,000 votes can determine national outcomes, as the 2008 elections clearly showed.
• The NPP cannot afford to repeat past mistakes by ignoring local dynamics and conflict-related challenges.This realism sets him apart as a leader who is not driven by mere rhetoric but by strategic foresight grounded in truth. It is this very quality that positions Hon. Bryan Acheampong as the most credible candidate to lead the NPP into the 2028 elections.
Conclusion
History has taught Ghana; and the NPP in particular; that every single vote matters. The 40,586 votes that decided the 2008 elections remain a permanent reminder of how slim electoral margins can alter the destiny of a nation.
For Dr. Bawumia; who stood as running mate in that very election; to dismiss 30,000 votes lost in Bawku as “just” is not only unfortunate but deeply troubling. Worse still, his refusal to acknowledge his unfulfilled promises to the party on Northern and Zongo votes, and his habit of blaming others for tribal politics, only deepens the wound.
Hon. Bryan Acheampong, by contrast, stands out as the candidate who grounds his politics in reality, not dismissals; offering the clarity and strategic honesty the NPP desperately needs in 2028.
The Future Has a Name and Is BRYAN
