Former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has emerged victorious in the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primary in Ho Central, with delegates celebrating his win.
He secured 516 out of 1,179 valid votes cast, beating his closest rivals Dr Bryan Acheampong, Mr Kennedy Ohene Agyapong, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum and Mr Kwabena Agyei Agyepong, who garnered 367, 276, 16 and 4 votes, respectively.
The win in Ho Central was seen as a significant boost for Dr Bawumia’s campaign, seeking to lead the NPP into the 2028 general elections.
Delegates praised his consistency, experience, and emotional intelligence, saying his election was a preliminary event for a larger upcoming election.
Mr Patrick Afalenu, an agent of Dr Bawumia in an interview with Ghana News Agency following the declaration, thanked the other aspirants and their agents for a good fight, with special thanks to all delegates for their time and asked for a united front to ensure victory for the party in the next general elections.
He expressed optimism that Dr Bawumia would emerge as the ultimate winner at the end of the day so he could go into the 2028 elections and deliver victory for the party.
Some delegates in Dr Bawumia’s camp who struggled to contain their excitement could be heard saying one thing, “With Dr Bawumia as our flag bearer, victory 2028 is a done deal.”
Earlier when it was just some minutes to the official close of the polls, Mr Curtis Perry Okudzeto, former Deputy Chief Executive of the National Petroleum Authority who was at the venue to observe the process said he and other like-minded people in the NPP were rooting for Dr Bawumia, considered to be experienced, formidable, and a winnable candidate.
He believed Dr Bawumia was capable of leading NPP to victory in 2028 and so, wanted him to win with a wide margin in the just-ended primary to guarantee party unity and cohesion, saying “Once the gap is clear enough, all losers will fall in line and we’ll put ourselves together as one to prosecute the 2028 agenda.”
“He is a candidate that has the right temperament and the right vision to lead Ghana, knowing very well that 2028 is going to be an interesting election where the NPP will have the upper hand of presenting the candidate who had been to the polls already and the National Democratic Congress, being a party that would bring a new candidate into the fray.”
GNA
