Former Vice President, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has strongly condemned what he described as a disturbing tribal and religious campaign being waged against him by some opponents within the New Patriotic Party (NPP).
Speaking at the 33rd Anniversary Celebration of NPP-USA in New York, Dr. Bawumia said such attacks only reflect the mindset of “bigots” and not the true values of the party.
His comments come in the wake of a viral video in which one of the party’s flagbearer hopefuls, Bryan Acheampong, urged delegates to reject Dr. Bawumia’s bid for the 2028 presidential candidacy, claiming that the NPP lost votes in 2024 because of his Mamprusi ethnic background. According to Bryan, the Kusasis—seen historically as rivals of the Mamprusis—refused to support the party due to Dr. Bawumia’s identity.
Dr. Bawumia expressed disappointment over such claims, describing them as “tribal bigotry.” He also criticized similar divisive remarks made by other aspirants and their supporters.
“An opponent has said delegates should not vote for me because I am Mamprusi and that we will lose votes in the Kusasi areas. This is so unfortunate… Another contender has also been promoting the religion card against me,” he lamented.
He further referenced comments by former Minister and NPP stalwart Kwaku Asomah Cheremeh, a campaign coordinator for Kennedy Agyapong, who allegedly told delegates not to back him because his wife, Samira Bawumia, is “not a true Ghanaian.”
“Really? So how can we campaign to minorities in a general election with such reasoning? Just unbelievable,” Dr. Bawumia responded.
The former Vice President stressed that these attacks have revealed “how desperate and dangerous” some of his internal opponents have become.
“When I defended the party in the Supreme Court in 2013, they didn’t say I was a Mamprusi, a Northerner, or a Muslim.
When I gave lectures and campaigned for the party’s victory in 2016, they didn’t say I was a Mamprusi, a Northerner, or a Muslim.
When my campaign in the North helped secure victory in 2020, they didn’t say I was a Mamprusi, a Northerner, or a Muslim.
When Samira campaigned across the country, no one said she wasn’t Ghanaian.
So, what has changed? Why now?” he asked.
Despite his disappointment, Dr. Bawumia expressed confidence that these attempts to discredit him will not succeed, emphasizing that the NPP’s strength lies in its inclusivity.
“Let us be clear: these views do not represent the rank and file of our party. For years, we have stood as a party of diversity—whether you are Sefwi, Fante, Ewe, Ashanti, Ga-Dangbe, Krobo, Dagomba, Wala, Dagarti, Konkomba, Frafra, Kusasi, or Mamprusi.
It has never mattered what religion you practice—Christian, Muslim, or traditional African faith. It has never mattered whether you are rich or poor, educated or not. That is the true spirit of the NPP,” he concluded.
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