NPP needs a new running mate to win power in 2028

As our flagbearer, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia (DMB), prepares to lead the New Patriotic Party into the 2028 general election and announce the running mate later on in the campaign, I believe it is time for us, as committed party members, to have an honest, objective and forward-looking conversation about the presidential ticket that can return our party to power.

My position is simple: if the NPP is serious about winning the 2028 general election, we must carefully reconsider the running mate position and be prepared to introduce a new candidate who can complement Dr Bawumia, broaden our electoral appeal and help rebuild the confidence of Ghanaians in our party.

This is not a personal attack on Dr Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO), neither is it a rejection of his contributions to the NPP. Rather, it is a strategic argument based on our electoral history, the lessons from previous elections and the urgent need to make decisions that serve the collective interest of our party.

As a party member who wants the NPP to win power in 2028, I have taken time to examine presidential tickets and election results under Ghana's Fourth Republic, from 1992 to 2024.

I respectfully appeal to all readers to put aside emotions, personal loyalties and political sensationalism. Let us focus on the facts, the electoral numbers and the strategic decisions that can improve our chances of victory.

Our objective must not simply be to defend a political decision. Our objective must be to win the 2028 election.

As our leader and Flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia announce his Running Mate for the 2028 General Election as a Member of the party who wants to the party to win the election, I have taken my time to go through Presidential Candidates and Running Mates under this Fourth(4th) Republic .

My advice to all readers is that to put aside Emotion and sensationalism but stick to the substance in this write up.

1. 𝗡𝗣𝗣 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗡𝗗𝗖 𝗥𝘂𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿

Election year Party Presidential flagbearer Running mate

𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟮 𝙉𝘿𝘾 Jerry John Rawlings 𝐊𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐚𝐡 𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟮 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Albert Adu Boahen 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐮 𝐀𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧

𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟲 𝙉𝘿𝘾 Jerry John 𝐑𝐚𝐰𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐄𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟲 𝙉𝙋𝙋 / 𝙂𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 John Agyekum Kufuor 𝐊𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐚𝐡

𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Evans Atta Mills 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐮 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝙉𝙋𝙋 John Agyekum Kufuor 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐮 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐚

𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟰 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Evans Atta Mills 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟰 𝙉𝙋𝙋 John Agyekum Kufuor 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐮 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐚

𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟴 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Evans Atta 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐚 𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟴 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Nana Addo Dankwa 𝐀𝐤𝐮𝐟𝐨-𝐀𝐝𝐝𝐨 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐮 𝐁𝐚𝐰𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐚

𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟮 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Dramani Mahama 𝐊𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐢 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐡-𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟮 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐮 𝐁𝐚𝐰𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐚

𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Dramani Mahama 𝐊𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐢 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐡-𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐮 𝐁𝐚𝐰𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐚

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Dramani Mahama 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐎𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐮-𝐀𝐠𝐲𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐮 𝐁𝐚𝐰𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐚

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Dramani Mahama 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐎𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐮-𝐀𝐠𝐲𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐠 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Mahamudu Bawumia 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐮 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐡

Below are the Election's Results of both NPP amd NDC under the Fourth(4) republic

2. 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝘾𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙚'𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙍𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 1992 𝙩𝙤 2024

𝙋𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙮 𝙁𝙡𝙖𝙜𝙗𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙧 𝙍𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙑𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙨

𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟮 𝙉𝘿𝘾/𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 Jerry John Rawlings 𝐊𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐚𝐡 2,323,135 𝟱𝟴.𝟰𝟬%

𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟮 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Albert Adu Boahen 𝐑𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐟𝐮 𝐀𝐥𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐧 1,204,764 𝟯𝟬.𝟮𝟵%

𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟲 𝙉𝘿𝘾 Jerry John Rawlings 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐚 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐬 4,099,758 𝟱𝟳.𝟯𝟳%

𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟲 𝙉𝙋𝙋/𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝘼𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 John Agyekum Kufuor 𝐊𝐨𝐰 𝐍𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐤𝐚𝐚𝐡 2,834,878 𝟯𝟵.𝟲𝟳%

𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝗥/𝗢 𝙉𝙋𝙋 John Agyekum Kufuor 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐮 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐚 3,631,263 𝟱𝟲.𝟵𝟬%

𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟬 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Atta Mills 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐮 2,750,124 𝟰𝟯.𝟭𝟬%

𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟰 𝙉𝙋𝙋 John Agyekum Kufuor 𝐀𝐥𝐢𝐮 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐚 4,524,074 𝟱𝟮.𝟰𝟱%

𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟰 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Atta Mills 𝐌𝐮𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐮𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢 3,850,368 𝟰𝟰.𝟲𝟰%

𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟴 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Atta Mills 𝐉𝐨𝐡𝐧 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐢 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐚 4,521,032 𝟱𝟬.𝟮𝟯%

𝟮𝟬𝟬𝟴 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Nana Akufo-Addo 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐮 𝐁𝐚𝐰𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐚 4,480,446 𝟰𝟵.𝟳𝟳%

𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟮 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Dramani Mahama 𝐊𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐢 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐡-𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫 5,574,761 𝟱𝟬.𝟳𝟬%

𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟮 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Nana Akufo-Addo 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐮 𝐁𝐚𝐰𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐚 5,248,898 𝟰𝟳.𝟳𝟰%

𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Nana Akufo-Addo 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐮 𝐁𝐚𝐰𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐚 5,755,758 𝟱𝟯.𝟳𝟮%

𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟲 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Dramani Mahama 𝐊𝐰𝐞𝐬𝐢 𝐀𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐡-𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫 4,771,188 𝟰𝟰.𝟱𝟯%

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Nana Akufo-Addo 𝐌𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐝𝐮 𝐁𝐚𝐰𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐚 6,730,587 𝟱𝟭.𝟯𝟬%

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟬 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Dramani Mahama 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐎𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐮-𝐀𝐠𝐲𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐠 6,213,182 𝟰𝟳.𝟯𝟲%

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝙉𝘿𝘾 John Dramani Mahama 𝐉𝐚𝐧𝐞 𝐍𝐚𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐎𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐮-𝐀𝐠𝐲𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐠 6,328,397 𝟱𝟲.𝟱𝟱%

𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 𝙉𝙋𝙋 Mahamudu Bawumia 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐰 𝐎𝐩𝐨𝐤𝐮 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐡 4,657,304 𝟰𝟭.𝟲𝟭%

Let us consider the historical records.

In 1996, John Agyekum Kufuor and Kow Nkensen Arkaah’s ticket received 39.67% of the votes. After changing his Running Mate to Aliu Mahama, the NPP secured 56.90% in the 2000 presidential runoff and won power.

The NDC also provides useful examples. After losing the 2000 election with 43.10%, the party changed its Running Mate from Martin Amidu to Mohammed Mumuni for 2004 election, when its vote share rose to 44.64%. In 2008, Prof. John Evans Atta Mills selected John Dramani Mahama as his Running Mate, and the NDC won power. In 2012, following President Mills’ death, Mahama selected Kwesi Amissah-Arthur and won the election. After retaining Amissah-Arthur in 2016, the NDC lost, receiving 44.53%. In 2020, Mahama selected Prof. Jane Naana Opoku-Agyemang, and the NDC’s vote share increased to 47.36%; in 2024, the same ticket secured 56.55% and returned the party to power. These results show that changes in a ticket improved performance and result.

To those arguing that Dr Bawumia should retain his previous Running Mate simply because President Akufo-Addo retained him for several elections, I respectfully submit that past success should not prevent us from reassessing our present circumstances. Every election has its own realities.

For the NPP, the Akufo-Addo–Bawumia ticket received 49.77% in 2008, 47.74% in 2012, 53.72% in 2016 and 51.30% in 2020. However, the Bawumia–Matthew Opoku Prempeh ticket received approximately 41.6% in 2024. This significant decline warrants serious reflection and change in the running mate as was done in 2000 by John Agyekum Kufuor, 2008 by Prof Evans Atta Mills and John Mahama in 2020

My position is simple: if we genuinely want to win power in 2028, we must be bold enough to consider a new Running Mate who can strengthen our ticket and improve our chances of victory.

The ultimate goal is not merely to maintain a ticket; it is to win the election and serve the people of Ghana. The NPP must put victory above sentiment.

Thank you.