Former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia has dismissed suggestions that he should be held responsible for the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) declining electoral performance in the Bawku enclave.
Speaking to party faithful during his tour of the Ashanti Region at Effiduase on Thursday, September 11, 2025, Dr. Bawumia emphasised that while he hails from the North, political outcomes in specific constituencies cannot be placed solely on his shoulders.
He rejected claims that the party’s losses were linked to the long-running Mamprusi-Kusasi conflict.
He said “They claim we lost the 2024 elections because of the Mamprusi-Kusasi conflict. Those claims will not wash. They would have given me a knock-out if it’s true because I’m a Mamprusi. I was not even born when the conflict started.”
He noted that the NPP continues to face unique political challenges in the Bawku area, where the National Democratic Congress (NDC) has maintained a stronghold over the years.
According to him, the enclave’s political leanings predate his rise to national prominence and cannot be altered overnight.
“Since 1965, there have been 11 elections in Ghana, in the Bawku zone, which has six constituencies. The NPP has won only two seats, being the highest. In most of the elections, we had zero seats in six of the 11 elections,” Dr Bawumia stated.
Citing past contests, Dr. Bawumia recalled that even during periods of national victory, the NPP failed to win in the enclave.
“In 2004, former president J. A. Kufuor won the election, but the NPP scored zero in the Bawku zone. In 2012, former President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo was the flagbearer, but we had zero seats in the Bawku zone. We were not part of the conflict. In 2024, we had zero seats in the Bawku enclave. If you look at the trajectory, was I the cause? I can’t be blamed for our poor performance in the Bawku zone, which is an NDC stronghold,” he noted.
Dr. Bawumia also urged party supporters not to be disheartened but to continue mobilising at the grassroots level to change the trend.
