The 2024 Presidential Candidate of the New Patriotic Party, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has urged the Party’s delegates to maintain him as the Party’s torchbearer in order to ensure a quick return to the Jubilee House.
Speaking at Adansi Asokwa in the Ashanti Region, Dr Bawumia noted that data from Ghana’s electoral history has shown that Ghanaian voters reward parties who show consistency in their choice of Presidential candidate.
The same data also shows that every outgoing President has handed over to someone they once competed against in a previous election.
Citing examples from both the NPP and the NDC since the 4th Republican constitution began operation in 1993, the NPP’s 2024 flagbearer has therefore urged NPP delegates to retain him for the 2028 election to enjoy the many benefits of maintaining a candidate.
“It is very important that our party follows political consistency as we prepare for 2028.
“In 1996 NPP presented J.A Kufuor, who obtained 39% of votes, but the Party presented him again in 2000 and he won. The late Prof Atta Mills garnered 43% of the votes in 2000. NDC presented him again in 2004, and he obtained 44%. They presented him again in 2008, and he won.
“Nana Akufo-Addo was presented in 2008, he didn’t win. We presented him again in 2012, he didn’t succeed, but we presented him again in 2016 and he won.
“John Mahama was presented in 2016, he lost. He was presented again in 2020, he lost again. But they kept faith with him in 2024, and he won. This shows clearly that maintaining faith with a candidate over more than an election cycle pays, irrespective of Party.”
Dr Bawumia made these observations at the beginning of his three day engagement with Constituency Executives in the Ashanti Region ahead of a national campaign in the lead up to the Party’s flagbearer contest.
The engagements, according to officials of the Bawumia Campaign, are to provide an opportunity for the former Vice President to formally inform the Executives of his intention to visit their Constituencies and engage with the delegates at the Polling Station level.
Dr Bawumia continued his dive into the dynamics of Ghana’s elections, saying:
“What is also remarkable in Ghana’s election history is that since 1992, every President has handed over to someone he had contested against in an earlier contest. President Rawlings handed over to President Kufuor, who he contested against in 1996. President Kufuor handed over to Prof Mills, who he contested against in 2000 and 2004. President Mahama handed over to President Akufo-Addo, who he contested against in 2012. President Akufo-Addo handed over to President Mahama. With President Mahama set to handover in 2029, if the trend continues, and there is no reason why it shouldn’t, he will be handing over to President-elect Mahamudu Bawumia. Unless we (NPP) present a new candidate, although the data also shows no first-timer has won Ghana’s Presidential elections.
“The trend shows that maintaining faith with a candidate is very beneficial, especially in marketing the flagbearer. I am the most marketed, prepared and winnable candidate among all the aspirants. No one in Ghana can say he or she has not heard of Dr Mahamudu Bawumia. My character, temperament and unifying nature is well known.
“I urge you to vote for me on 31st January to lock in the benefits of maintaining a Presidential candidate. We can win 2028 if we approach it with a united front.”
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