J.A. Sarbah Writes: Why the NPP Must Present Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as Presidential Candidate for Election 2028

Why the NPP Must Present Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as Presidential Candidate for Election 2028: A Case for Competence, Continuity, and National Stability

As the Party recalibrates after the 2024 election loss, the New Patriotic Party (NPP) stands at a crucial junction. The question ahead is not merely about who can win an election—but who can lead a country through post-pandemic economic realignment, technological transformation, and political stabilization. Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia remains the NPP’s most qualified, most forward-looking, and most unifying option. The 2024 loss wasn’t a rejection of his competence—but a confluence of timing, fatigue, and global disruptions. The case for Bawumia in 2028 is even stronger than it was four years prior.

No One Has Been More Ready to Lead—Not Even Kufuor or Akufo-Addo

None of the NPP’s previous presidential candidates—including the widely respected John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Akufo-Addo—entered the race with the governance portfolio Dr. Bawumia brought in 2024. His résumé remains unmatched: Vice President for two terms, former Deputy Governor of the Bank of Ghana, and an internationally celebrated economist.

Rather than viewing the 2024 defeat as a disqualification, it must be seen for what it was—a political moment shaped by global economic aftershocks, domestic exhaustion, and an eight-year political cycle crystallization. Dr. Bawumia did not fail the Party; he elevated its offering. And now, with five more years of wisdom, hindsight, and continued relevance, he returns with deeper perspective—and cleaner hands.

The Future Is Digital—And Bawumia Is Already There

While others are learning to pronounce “blockchain,” Dr. Bawumia has already implemented Ghana’s most transformative digital reforms. From mobile money interoperability to the national digital address system, he has done more than theorize—he has executed. Thanks to Bawumia’s digital address system, over 7.5 million Ghanaians were uniquely identified, revolutionizing health insurance, banking, and tax operations.

His ability to think ahead, spot patterns, and apply systems-level thinking to governance sets him apart from every contender. He doesn’t just ride the wave of innovation—he architects the tide. That’s the calibre of leadership Ghana needs in this next decade of digital revolution and AI disruption.

Bawumia Builds—While Others Divide

Kennedy Agyapong may be charismatic and outspoken, but charisma is not a substitute for statecraft. Populism may stir the crowd—but it rarely steers a country. Where Agyapong inflames, Bawumia integrates. Where others reach for religious identity and raw emotion, he reaches for data and dialogue.

And this is no minor difference. In a time of heightened religious, ethnic, and regional sensitivities, Ghana must not hand power to voices that excite our differences. Dr. Bawumia is not only inclusive by speech—his life is the evidence: a Northern Muslim married to a Fulani Muslim woman, Samira. His calm, cosmopolitan persona makes him a bridge across cultures, ideologies, and faiths.

Globally Respected. Diplomatically Seasoned. Economically Trusted.

The next president of Ghana must not only speak to the nation—but also negotiate with the world. Ghana’s debt restructuring, fiscal credibility, and investor confidence depend on a leader known beyond our borders. Dr. Bawumia is such a figure.

Whether in IMF briefings or digital governance panels, Dr. Bawumia is not just a Ghanaian voice—he is an African thought leader. From sovereign debt rooms to Davos-level conversations, he is known, trusted, and quoted. He understands the nuances of sovereign credit ratings, capital flows, and currency pressure. He doesn’t need a tutorial—he is already the reference point. Few politicians in Ghana’s history have simultaneously commanded the respect of global economists and the trust of local constituents. Bawumia is one of them.

Loyal to the Party from Day One. Loved by the Youth. Trusted by the Future.

Dr. Bawumia’s greatest strength may not be his brilliance—but his discipline. After the 2024 loss, he could have faded. He did not. He could have blamed others. He refused to. Instead, he continued to serve with grace and loyalty—proving that he is not only a technocrat but a party man.

Among the youth, he remains relevant—not because he tries to be trendy, but because he represents competence with humility. In a political age hungry for authenticity, he is neither manufactured nor messianic. He is real, relatable, and reliable.

Let’s Talk Facts: Bawumia Didn’t Collapse the Economy

It has become fashionable in some circles to blame Dr. Bawumia for Ghana’s economic woes. But this ignores context, causality, and constitutional reality.

The global pandemic, the Ukraine war, and external supply chain crises disrupted economies everywhere—not just in Ghana. Over 90 emerging markets went to the IMF. The very institutions that once praised Ghana’s fiscal reforms—like the World Bank—acknowledged that these were exogenous shocks, not internal recklessness.

Between 2017 and 2019—before the global shocks—Ghana’s growth averaged 6.7%, one of the fastest on the continent. Inflation was on a steady decline. Fiscal discipline improved markedly under IMF’s own Extended Credit Facility monitoring.

Bawumia was not the Finance Minister. He did not implement the budget. He did not make final fiscal decisions. What he did, however, was push for transparency through digitization, argue for efficiency through interoperability, and lead on public sector reforms that continue to save millions.

To reduce a global economic crisis to one man is not only unfair—it is dishonest. And to pretend that he had sole control over the economy is to misunderstand how constitutional governance works.

2028 Is Our Second Chance—Let’s Not Miss It

In politics, timing is everything—but so is readiness. Dr. Bawumia remains the NPP’s most future-fit candidate. He is a calm reformer, a principled technocrat, and a loyal party statesman. The NPP must decide: do we go backward into noise and theatrics—or forward with competence and quiet strength?

Let the NPP not merely think politically—let it act patriotically. Let us not reward noise when the nation needs nuance. Let us not trade blueprints for bravado. Let Ghana rise, not just with applause, but with action.

Ghana is watching. The youth are watching. The world is watching. Let the NPP give Ghana what it deserves in 2028—a second chance at real transformation, not loud distractions.

Bawumia was the right choice in 2024. He is the indispensable choice for 2028.

This is not just politics. This is Ghana’s turning point.

Let history say we chose right—not loud, not late, but right.

J.A. Sarbah

A Political Observer & Voice of National Conscience