Ex-Ghana vice president Bawumia win opposition NPP presidential primaries ahead of 2028 polls

Di opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP) for Ghana don elect ex-vice president Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as dia presidential candidate for di 2028 general elections.

Bawumia beat four oda candidates including two ex-ministers to win by 56.48%.

Afta di close of polls by di ova 200,000 delegates from 333 polling centres across di 16 regions of di kontri, di former VP win by big margin.

Certified results by di electoral commission:

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia – 110,643 (56.48%)

Kennedy Ohene Agyapong – 46,554 (23.76%)

Dr Bryan Acheampong – 36,303 (18.53%)

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum – 1,999 (1.02%)

Kwabena Agyei Agyepong – 402 (0.2%)

Total valid votes – 195,901

Total rejected ballots – 561

Total votes cast – 196,462

According to di party election rules, di winner gatz secure more dan 50 percent of di total votes.

If none of di five candidates get dis results, di party go organise run-off in 14 days.

Wit dis result, Bawumia go lead di party for di election wey be three years away.

E tok say im campaign team try well well to execute dis campaign wey bring dem victory.

"I get excellent team wey help me for dis campaign; I tank evribodi wey support me for dis journey. I also tank all di MPs wey stand by me for dis contest."

Di NPP decide say dem go select dia candidate early so dem go get more time to campaign and market di candidate for di next election to face di govment National Democratic Congress (NDC) party.

Di NDC go select dia own presidential candidate later.

During di voting wey dey peaceful, delegates allege say some candidates give dem money to vote – some delegates also tok say if some candidates no give dem money, dem no go vote.

Party officials say di money wey some candidates give to di delegates be for dia transportation to di voting centres; but experts say all dat be vote-buying.

During di process, police arrest two party delegates during di primaries for di Ablekuma North Constituency for Accra during some chaos dia.

Di two pipo – Jones De-Graft wey be di constituency research officer and Abubakar Braimah wey be di constituency organiser get questions to answer.

Police say dem go against di rules of di elections.

For di Ayawaso East constituency, police arrest one delegate say e dey try to film im vote.

For di Ashanti region, dem arrest two oda pipo sake of dem dey wear body cameras for di Adansi Asokwa constituency, according Police Commander DCOP Joseph Hammond Nyaaba.

E neva be clear wetin go happun to dis pipo dem arrest, but di party say dem give all di power wey relate to election security to di police.

Reactions from oda candidates wey lose

Di candidate wey chop second for di primaries Kennedy Ohene Agyapong ask im supporters to come togeda and support di party.

"Make you no use dis results against di party. Make we unite and come togeda and work as one party for di 2028 elections."

Im fans and supporters say dem no go vote for di NPP for di 2028 elections, sake of dis result but Kennedy Agyapong say "make you no tok dat, no vote mata; we be one party, make we support di party."

E tok di supporters to eat and drink and celebrate and prepare for di future.

Di oda candidate wey chop third Dr Bryan Acheampong also congratulate Dr Bawumia for one phone call.

"I call say make I congratulate you for di election, you do well; I go meet you make we close evritin. Democracy win today," Dr Bryan Acheampong tok inside di phone call to Dr Bawumia.

Di former vice president also tok say Dr Bryan Acheampong also try veri well for di election even though e no reach di 50 percent threshold.

"Life dey go on from here. Democracy go continue."

Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, wey anoda losing candidate, say, "I congratulate Dr Bawumia for dis decisive victory. Now we for rally togeda to plan for 2028 elections."

"We get more work to do ahead of 2028, but di party try for dis primaries, di committee, di police and di electoral commission and all di party supporters. Make we prepare for di next step."

Profile of Bawumia - di opposition party presidential candidate for 2028 elections

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia – di former vice president be economist wey e lead di NPP for di 2024 election wia di party lose by more dan one million votes.

Dem born am for Tamale for di kontri Northern Region, wey im hometown be Walewale for di Northeast Region.

Dr Bawumia comot family wey dey do politics since – im papa, Alhaji Mumuni Bawumia, become minister of state wey e also become chairman of di kontri council of state.

Bifor e enta active politics, Dr Bawumia be deputy govnor of di Bank of Ghana from 2006 – 2008. For 2011, e be di resident representative of di Africa Development Bank for Zimbabwe.

E also be visiting scholar for di University of British Columbia (Canada) wey e also be senior associate member for di St. Anthony's College for di University of Oxford.

Later between 2013 and 2015, Dr Bawumia serve as visiting professor of economic governance for di Central University of Ghana.

Di 62-year-old contest as running mate for di NPP wit Nana Akufo-Addo for di 2008 elections. For di 2012 election, candidate Nana Akufo-Addo re-elect am as running mate – dem eventually lose di general elections.

As running mate for 2016, di NPP win elections wey Nana Akufo-Addo become president, Bawumia become vice. Dem rule di kontri for eight years bifor dem lose di 2024 elections to di NDC candidate, John Mahama.

Bawumia dey married to Samira Bawumia wey dem get four children.

Even though critics blame am for di economic crisis wey di kontri suffer under di previous govment, im followers say e try im best, at a time di govment make unpopular decisions wey affect many pipo and di economy.

For di 2024 elections, Bawumia concede defeat hours afta di vote sake of im say di votes dem count by dat time dey show say di current govment party di NDC and dia candidate John Mahama, already win di vote.

Bawumia say e concede defeat early to "avoid chaos and ensure peace".

Wit anoda chance to lead di NPP for di 2028 elections, Bawumia promise im party pipo say dem go do beta and collect power from di NDC.

Buildup

Profiles of di four oda aspirants

Kennedy Ohene Agyapong - E be businessman wey serve as parliamentarian (member of parliament) for Assin Central Constituency for di Central Region for 24 years - from 2000 to 2024.

E neva lose parliamentary election until wen e decide say e no go seek re-election in 2024 sake of e get presidential ambition.

Kennedy Agyapong wey get civil engineering degree, travel to di US wia e begin business; e later get investments for dia bifor e return to Ghana.

E get many businesses - e get radio stations, TV channels, real estate business wey e also get farms.

Di 65-year-old also get steel company for di kontri. Many pipo describe am as pesin wey dey speak im mind; some pipo say e be controversial.

E decide say e go contest for primaries of di NPP to get chance to stand for president.

Dr Bryan Acheampong - E be entrepreneur and politician wey currently dey serve as member of parliament for Abetifi constituency for di Eastern region; he be MP for eight years.

Di 53-year-old serve as minister for Agriculture and minister for Interior under di previous govment.

E also serve as minister for National Security at some point for di last administration.

For business, Dr Bryan Acheampong dey own hotels, software development company and media and communication company.

Dr Acheampong get PhD for information systems from di University of Ghana wey e also be PhD candidate for Security and Intelligence for di University of Buckingham.

Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum - di 61-year-old educationist bin contest for NPP presidential ticket afta e serve as education minister under di previous govment. E get PhD for education policy and administration from South California.

Currently, Dr Adutwum be member of parliament for di Bosomtwe Constituency for di Ashanti Region of Ghana.

Dr Adutwum teach maths and information technology for one high school for Los Angeles.

E later become owner of three schools for di US wey e get investments for Ghana.

Kwabena Agyei Agyepong - Di 63-year-old be civil engineer and politician. E be former sports commentator and presenter wey cover di world cup for Seoul 1998, Barcelona 1992 and di 1996 Atlanta Olympic games for di state broadcaster – GBC.

For 2001, Kwabena Agyepong serve as press secretary to ex-president John Agyekum Kufour wey e be spokesperson for di president until May 2006.

E bin serve as general secretary of di NPP afta e win election for 2014 bifor dem suspend am for 2015 togeda wit about 45 oda party members.

Dem chop accuse say dem "publicly rebel against di party decision" to suspend di chairman, Paul Afoko.

Kwabena Agyepong describe di two-year suspension as "unconstitutional".

Dem lift di suspension for 2021wey pave way for am to return to contribute to di party.

All five candidates say dem sell dia message to di delegates, and say dem go win.