My faith did not contribute to NPP's loss — Bawumia

The New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) 2024 presidential candidate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia, has denied allegations that his Muslim faith was a factor in the party's loss in the general election. 

Speaking at the NPP headquarters at Asylum Down in Accra yesterday ahead of the party's 'Thank You Tour'’, Dr Bawumia described the claims as baseless and lacking evidence.

He expressed surprise that some people attributed the party's loss to his religious affiliation, stating, "When we finished the election, there were so many people who were giving different reasons why we lost.

When you look at the reasons people were offering, one of the reasons people offered was that they said that they didn't vote for us (NPP) because our presidential candidate was Muslim," he said.

Dr Bawumia urged Ghanaians to rely on data rather than propaganda and emphasised that such assertions were unfounded.

"This is not the Ghana that I know," he added, and stressed the need for a more informed and nuanced discussion about the election’s outcome.

The "Thank You Tour," on the theme “In All Things Give Thanks To The Lord” (1 Thessalonians 5:18), will begin in the Western Region on Saturday. 

Unity

Dr Bawumia urged party members to unite as they set their sights on winning the 2028 general election, saying unity is the key to strengthening the party and regaining power from the National Democratic Congress (NDC).

Breaking from tradition and in a show of solidarity, Dr Bawumia will be joined by his former competitors in the NPP flag bearer race together with the party leadership on the tour.

"What is important for all of us is that we have to be united. If we are united, we are going to win 2028.

If we are not united, we will have a challenge.

So unity is very important and because I want us to be united, this is why I am departing from the normal "thank you tour" to what we have never held," he said. 

"Normally, whether it is Adu Boahen, whether it's Kufuor, whether it's Akufo-Addo, the presidential candidate has just basically gone ahead and done a ‘thank you tour’. We are doing it differently this time because I want unity," he said.

"And that is why I've said that I want to go with the party and also to invite my former contestants - the aspirants who contested me for the primaries.

They should come and we'll all go and do the ‘thank you’ for the country so that we all show a united front for the party, so that we can build on it going forward.

So, that is my sense of what we are going to do.

I want to thank all of you. Remember, unity is the key."

Appreciation

Dr Bawumia commended the 11-member committee led by Prof. Mike Oquaye who worked tirelessly to investigate the causes of the party's defeat in the 2024 election to come up with sound recommendations for the betterment of the party.

He also expressed appreciation to his former , President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, former President Kufuor, his running mate, Matthew Opoku Prempeh, as well as the National Council of Elders, the National Executives, Regional,  Constituency, Polling Station executives, party members and supporters for their commitment during the election.

"First of all, as the Good Book says, for all things, you give thanks to the Lord and so, first of all, we want to thank God for bringing us this far.

We couldn't have been here and we know that almighty God does things for a reason.

There's always a reason, and we may not understand why he has made things to go the way they have," he stressed.

"So even in defeat, we are thankful to the almighty God for how far he has brought us.

I also want to thank the former president, my boss, Nana Addo Dankwa AkufuAddo, for all the support he has given me, making me his running mate four times consecutively.

It's never happened in Ghana or Africa and then his vice president for two terms. I'm most grateful, and he was very supportive of me in the 2024 election,” Dr Bawumia added.

The NPP’s thanksgiving tour, scheduled to begin this weekend, is expected to bring together party faithful across the regions as part of efforts to reflect, rebuild and reposition ahead of future political engagements.

The event was attended by the National Chairman of the party, Stephen Ayesu, Ntim and other prominent members of the party.