AS NANA ADDO MAINTAINED BAWUMIA, BAWUMIA WILL MAINTAIN NAPO

Within the New Patriotic Party, history matters. Tradition matters. And above all, loyalty that delivers victory matters. As conversations gather pace around Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia’s running mate for the 2028 elections, many within the party are pointing to a clear and compelling precedent — one set by President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo himself.
When Nana Addo chose Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia as his running mate in 2008, the decision was not without controversy. There were doubts, pressures and persistent calls for change after defeat. Yet, through 2012 and into 2016, Nana Addo kept faith. He resisted internal agitation, ignored lobbyists and stood by his partner. That consistency ultimately paid off when the Nana Addo–Bawumia ticket secured a decisive victory in 2016 and went on to win again in 2020.
To many within the NPP today, that history is not coincidental — it is instructive.
Now, as Dr. Bawumia steps firmly into the role of flagbearer following his emphatic primary victory, grassroots supporters argue that the same logic must apply. Just as Nana Addo trusted Bawumia through loss, rebuilding and eventual victory, Bawumia is expected to maintain faith in Dr. Matthew Opoku Prempeh (NAPO).
Party elders and activists alike say this is not just about personalities; it is about party culture. The NPP, they argue, has traditionally rewarded loyalty, teamwork and perseverance. Frequent changes, especially under pressure, have never been the party’s winning formula. Stability, clarity and belief in one’s team have.
NAPO’s supporters insist that his partnership with Dr. Bawumia mirrors the early Nana Addo–Bawumia years — a period marked by resilience, ideological conviction and long-term thinking rather than short-term appeasement. They point out that NAPO stood firmly with Dr. Bawumia through the 2024 campaign, defending tough decisions, mobilising the base and projecting strength when it mattered most.
At the grassroots level, the comparison resonates deeply. Constituency executives say maintaining NAPO would send a powerful message to party faithful: the NPP does not abandon its own. “We saw this movie before,” one polling station chairman remarked. “Nana Addo never changed Bawumia, and today we celebrate that decision. Why should Bawumia do otherwise?”
The argument gaining ground is simple — winning tickets are not built on panic, but on patience. Nana Addo’s success was rooted in consistency and confidence, not constant recalibration. Repeating the Bawumia–NAPO ticket, supporters say, aligns perfectly with that legacy.
As the party looks ahead to 2028, many believe Dr. Bawumia understands this moment not just as a political calculation, but as a historical responsibility. To uphold the tradition that brought the NPP success. To reinforce the culture of loyalty that strengthens party cohesion. And to demonstrate that leadership, once chosen, is backed with conviction.
In the eyes of the NPP grassroots, the conclusion is clear: as Nana Addo maintained Bawumia, Bawumia will maintain NAPO — not merely as a gesture, but as a continuation of a winning tradition rooted firmly in the party’s history.