Akufo-Addo hands over NPP leadership to Bawumia after 16 years

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has handed over the leadership of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia after a remarkable 16-year tenure.

President Akufo-Addo had held the position of the party's leader since 2007. As per the NPP's constitution, Dr. Bawumia, following his victory in the presidential primaries, assumes the role of the new leader of the party.

During his handover address at the Accra Sports Stadium on Saturday, November 4, 2023, President Akufo-Addo expressed his commitment to ensuring that Dr. Bawumia becomes the President in the 2024 elections.

He expressed gratitude to the party for having placed its trust in him for 16 years and expressed optimism in Dr. Bawumia's ability to unite the party.

Dr. Bawumia's triumph as the NPP's flagbearer, following the party's presidential primaries, is a significant milestone.

He secured a substantial victory with 61.43% of the total votes, with Kennedy Agyapong, his closest rival, receiving 37.41% of the vote share. The other two contestants, Dr. Afriyie Akoto and Francis Addai Nimo, garnered 0.75% and 0.41% of the votes, respectively.

The participation of some 200,000 delegates from across the country underscores the importance of the NPP's primaries as they prepare for the 2024 general elections.

Dr. Bawumia's emergence as the flagbearer sets the stage for the NPP's election campaign, where he will face formidable opponents, including the National Democratic Congress (NDC) flagbearer, John Dramani Mahama, and Alan Kyerematen, in the 2024 elections.

This outcome paves the way for a competitive political landscape as the candidates vie for the presidency.