A total of 118 former New Patriotic Party (NPP) parliamentary candidates who contested the 2024 general elections have formally declared their support for former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s bid to lead the party into the 2028 presidential elections.
The group made the announcement at apress conference at the International Press Centre in Accra on Thursday, January 8, 2026 just weeks ahead of the party’s presidential primaries slated for January 31.
The declaration represents one of the largest coordinated endorsements within the party in recent election cycles and mirrors an earlier show of support from 63 sitting NPP Members of Parliament.
Speaking on behalf of the group, former Sekondi MP and former Deputy Minister for Energy, Andrew Agyapa Mercer, said the decision followed months of broad consultations across all levels of the party’s grassroots structures and key community stakeholders. He described the endorsement as a unified, voluntary and principled stand aimed at strengthening party cohesion and ensuring victory in the 2028 national elections.
“After extensive engagements with polling station executives, electoral area coordinators, constituency executives, former executives, elders, patrons, youth groups, market women, farmers, fisherfolk, business owners, religious leaders and traditional authorities, it became overwhelmingly clear that Dr. Bawumia is the most prepared, competent and unifying figure to lead our party at this time,” Mr. Mercer stated. “This decision is not borne out of inducement or coercion. It is rooted in sober reflection and a deep sense of duty to the NPP and to Ghana.”
He said the 118-member group, all of whom campaigned vigorously across various constituencies in the 2024 parliamentary elections, were well-positioned to understand voter expectations and grassroots sentiments. That experience, he noted, reinforced their conviction that Dr. Bawumia remained the party’s most credible, appealing and winnable candidate for the next national polls.
Outlining the reasons for their collective endorsement, the former Deputy Energy Minister described Dr. Bawumia as a visionary leader with a proven track record in digital transformation, economic policy management and public sector innovation. He cited major achievements under his leadership as Vice President, including the national digitalisation agenda, mobile money interoperability, the Ghana Card roll-out, public records digitisation, and his central role in stabilising the economy through interventions such as the Domestic Gold Purchase Programme.
“Dr. Bawumia has demonstrated competence, integrity, humility, and an unmatched commitment to Ghana’s development. His contributions to digitalisation, macroeconomic interventions and infrastructure projects like Agenda 111 show clearly that he is the most consequential Vice President in the Fourth Republic. None of the other aspirants matches his combined experience, intellect and readiness to lead,” he said.
The group also highlighted some of Dr. Bawumia’s proposed reforms aimed at strengthening the welfare and empowerment of NPP grassroots members, including a commitment to allocate a minimum of ten high-level appointments per constituency, a comprehensive welfare database for party members, and a constituency-based budgeting system to support local development and expand economic opportunities.
“These are not mere promises; they are practical, transformative measures that will ensure inclusiveness and reward the hard work of party members across all constituencies,” Mr. Mercer noted.
He stressed that the decision was not influenced by personal ambitions of the group’s members, many of whom have yet to declare whether they intend to contest future parliamentary primaries. “Whether we run again or not is immaterial. This is about the future of the party and the prosperity of our country,” he added.
While acknowledging the contributions of other aspirants in the race, the group maintained that the current political and economic landscape required a leader with Dr. Bawumia’s experience, innovative thinking and national appeal. They made a strong call for unity, urging all NPP members and supporters to rally behind the former Vice President to secure victory in both the primaries and the 2028 general elections.
The endorsement concluded with a pledge to support the party’s campaign machinery and work closely with Dr. Bawumia to deliver a resounding win. The group ended with a collective appeal for unity, discipline and forward-looking leadership as the NPP prepares for a crucial internal election.
“Our commitment is to a stronger, united NPP capable of winning 2028. We believe Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia is the leader to deliver that victory,” Mr. Mercer stated.
