Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has won the presidential primaries of the New Patriotic Party (NPP) after being officially declared winner by the Electoral Commission, Ghana (EC). He polled a total of 118,210 votes out of 193,346 to become the winner.
His votes represent 61.43 percent of the total valid votes cast. His closest contender was Assin Central Member of Parliament (MP) Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, who polled a total of 71,996 votes, representing 37.41 percent to come second. Former Minister of Food and Agriculture Dr Owusu Afriyie Akoto polled 1,459, representing 0.76 percent to come third. He was followed by former Mampong MP Francis Addai-Nimoh, who polled a total of 781, representing 0.41 percent.
Per the results of the primaries, the Vice President will lead the ruling party into next year’s elections. His major hurdle will be facing a former president, John Dramani Mahama, who was elected last December as the flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC). The two have faced off on several political campaign platforms but in different capacities.
In the run-up to the 2008 elections, they were both running mates. Dr Bawumia was assisting Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo while Mr Mahama was assisting the late Professor John Evans Atta Mills, who won a third vote in Tain Constituency to win the elections.
In the 2012, 2016 and 2020 elections, Mr Mahama led the NDC while Dr Bawumia remained running mate to Mr Akufo-Addo.
Come 2024, the two will face off as the Presidential Candidates of the two major political parties in Ghana in what many have described as critical in the history of Ghana – a candidate seeking a return and one seeking to go a notch higher on the political ladder.
