NPP will return to power in 2028 because first-time presidential candidates don't win an election in Ghana – Bawumia

Despite the New Patriotic Party’s loss in the 2024 presidential election, former Vice President and party flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, remains confident that the NPP will reclaim power in the next election cycle.

Speaking at an engagement with supporters in London, Dr. Bawumia pointed to historical voting patterns and what he described as inevitable political realities that could favour the NPP’s resurgence.

“I believe that in 2028 NPP is going to come back into government. I believe so. There are few reasons why I am so convinced about this,” he stated.

He explained that Ghana’s political track record suggests first-time presidential candidates often struggle to secure victory at the polls—a dynamic he believes could work in the NPP’s favour, particularly if the National Democratic Congress (NDC) fields a new contender.

“If you look at our political history—our political history suggests that it is usually difficult for a first-time presidential candidate to win an election in Ghana. I don’t know why that is, but Ghanaians want you to come more than once,” Bawumia noted.

Dr. Bawumia also took aim at the NDC’s current administration, accusing it of failing to deliver on its ambitious campaign promises. He suggested that the reality of governance would expose the gap between rhetoric and delivery.

“In opposition, they made so many promises and told a lot of stories about what they were going to do, and now they have come into government. It is not easy to do propaganda when you are in government. It is very easy to do propaganda in opposition,” he said.

Using the example of food and commodity prices, Bawumia dismissed the NDC’s claim that it would ease the cost of living.

“They said that when they come, they will bring down the cost of kenkey and the cost of living. I don’t know, have you noticed the reduction in kenkey prices in Ghana? No. Prices are rather going up… You will see that this lie that they told about reducing the cost of living will be more and more exposed as we go forward,” he said.

While the 2024 election defeat marked a significant setback for the NPP, Dr. Bawumia’s comments signal a renewed sense of purpose within the party, as it begins laying the groundwork for a political comeback in 2028.