Dr Bawumia’s early concession and matters arising

In the morning of December 8, when I saw on social media that Dr Bawumia, then flagbearer of the New Patriotic Party (NPP), was going to address the nation at 9 am, my initial response was that perhaps he was going to call upon the country to remain calm as we await the Electoral Commission to officially declare the results. 

But not long after, and before he gave his speech, I read on the social media page of his official campaign spokesperson that Dr Bawumia had called then-candidate John Mahama of the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to congratulate him on his victory.

As the presidential primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) heat up, the early concession has re-emerged. My attention was drawn to it when TV3 called me for a brief interview about it.

I have continued to reflect on the issue and what it means for the party’s upcoming primary and, more importantly, our electoral system.

Early concession

I was quite surprised, and I am sure many others too, when Dr Bawumia conceded.

However, as Dr Bawumia spoke, it became very clear that he was motivated by something bigger than his own interest and presidential ambition – the nation.

Our elections have become high-stakes, and the fact that we were standing on the brink of another turnover election further raised the stakes. 

Noticing the rising tension and concerned about its implications for the country, he chose the path of early concession.

As I have always maintained, it is an act to be commended.

In fact, the speech and his posture that morning reminded me of Dr Bawumia when he first emerged on the political scene but in my opinion went largely missing at various points during the 2024 election campaign.

In addition, the concession was not done in a vacuum. As previously mentioned, there was concern about post-election security. Also, he was fully aware that the election had been lost.

Our two main political parties have evolved where they are able to do parallel compilation of election results, thereby putting them in a position to get a clear unofficial sense of the election results.

So, armed with these two contextual factors, it is acceptable to have chosen this path.

In my recent TV3 interview on this matter, the host asked whether it showed a sign of weakness.

I respectfully disagreed because it took strength of character and conviction to have gone ahead with that early concession, even as I understand, against the wishes of some who had campaigned with him.

And I hope that, as Dr Bawumia’s candidacy is judged as to whether it represents the candidate needed for the 2028 election, his early concession speech will not be the only window through which the strength or otherwise of his leadership character would be judged.

NPP primary

I often tell my friends that one of my least favourite aspects of democratic politics is internal party elections.

It is largely because the “fight” becomes so intense that it appears as though the political rivalry, come time for the national election, will be between two candidates from the same political party.

But I also do not have an alternative democratic way to propose when it comes to selecting presidential candidates for a party.

I am, therefore, left with pointing something out.

A primary is designed to select the best candidate for the party.

I understand that to do that, candidates would have to project their own strengths and highlight the weaknesses of their opponents. I, therefore, can accept the intensity of the contest and the rhetoric exchanged.

However, I am worried that if the contest becomes too bruising, two things will happen.

First, it makes any post-primary search for peace and reconciliation more difficult.

And maybe that is why the party has chosen an early primary to give it enough time to achieve this.

But time is not always a friend of man.

Second, party primary rhetoric becomes fodder for your main political rivals, which they will deploy in the national election easily and without hesitation. 

In the end, I hope the candidates and their supporters choose a path that serves the best interests of the party.

Electoral integrity

One big lesson from the early concession speech is the role of the Electoral Commission and the integrity of our elections.

The long hours of silence without regular updates from the election management body raise the tension and fuel speculation.

Perhaps what the EC can do is to regularly provide updates on the ongoing counting of election results.

Even if it means having a rolling monitor with results constantly being updated, so that whether an early concession or not, the signs will be clear for citizens.

The writer is the Project Director, Democracy Project.