NPP will return to power with Bawumia in 2028 – Osahen Afenyo-Markin

The Minority Leader in Parliament, Osahen Alexander Afenyo-Markin, has expressed confidence that the New Patriotic Party (NPP) will return to power in the 2028 general elections under the leadership of its flagbearer Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

He said the party could overcome its 2024 electoral defeat through hard work, effective parliamentary oversight and the presentation of credible alternative policies to Ghanaians.

The Effutu MP made the remarks in an interview with DW Africa, citing the NPP's previous electoral recovery as evidence that the party could win power again.

“There's no doubt on my mind at all that how we started, making sure that it is about substance and put the nation's interests first above all. And without doubt, I believe that come the next elections, there will be a different outcome,” he said.

Osahen Afenyo-Markin recalled the NPP's performance in the 1996 general elections, when the party won 61 parliamentary seats against the National Democratic Congress' (NDC) 133 seats.

He said the party worked hard in opposition, held the government accountable and presented alternative proposals, which helped it regain control of Parliament and win the presidency in 2000.

The NPP, however, suffered a major electoral setback in the 2024 general elections, losing the presidency to the NDC's John Dramani Mahama.

Dr Bawumia, the party's presidential candidate, secured 41.61 per cent of the valid votes, against Mr Mahama's 56.55 per cent.

The NPP also saw its parliamentary representation fall from 137 seats in 2020 to 88 in 2024, while the NDC secured 183 seats in the 276-member Parliament.

Following the defeat, the NPP embarked on a reorganisation exercise to rebuild its structures and strengthen its support base ahead of the 2028 elections.

The exercise covered polling station, electoral area, constituency and regional-level elections, culminating in the party's national executive elections in October 2026.

Dr Bawumia, who was re-elected flagbearer in early 2026, has since urged party stakeholders to use their experience and political influence to make the NPP a united and formidable force.