2024 New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential candidate, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has condemned what he describes as tribal and religious propaganda being directed at him by fellow NPP flagbearer aspirants ahead of the party’s 2026 primaries.
Addressing party faithful on Sunday, August 24, Dr. Bawumia expressed concern over the trajectory of internal campaign tactics, warning that such strategies not only lack substance but also risk deepening divisions within the party.
“As we go into the primaries, I am very concerned and troubled that some of our presidential aspirants have embarked on religious and tribal bigotry and propaganda against me. In a desperate attempt to win votes, they totally ignore the data and findings on why we lost the 2024 election and want to mislead delegates and the party wings with such propaganda,” he said.
Dr. Bawumia cited the longstanding Mamprusi-Kusasi ethnic tensions in the north, disclosing that a fellow aspirant had allegedly instructed party delegates to vote against him solely because he is Mamprusi, suggesting it would harm the party’s prospects in Kusasi areas
“An aspirant has said delegates should not vote for me because I am a Mamprusi man and that I will lose votes in the Kusasi and other areas. This is very unfortunate and demonstrates a complete lack of understanding of the situation,” Bawumia revealed.
His remarks were in response to comments by Abetifi MP and fellow flagbearer hopeful, Dr. Bryan Acheampong, who attributed the NPP’s 2024 electoral loss to tribal dynamics surrounding Bawumia’s candidacy.
Addressing party members on Saturday, August 23, Dr. Bryan Acheampong argued that Dr. Bawumia’s nomination had alienated segments of the northern electorate due to historic ethnic rivalries. He suggested that past NPP leaders, including former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, had garnered broader northern support by being perceived as more neutral in the region’s tribal politics.
However, Dr. Bawumia rejected this narrative, insisting that such tribal arguments are unfounded and divert attention from the real reasons behind the party’s 2024 defeat.
He urged fellow aspirants to prioritise data-driven evaluations and genuine party unity over divisive rhetoric, warning that failure to do so could undermine both the primaries and the general election.
