Your Excellencies, former Presidents John Agyekum Kufour and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo; Distinguished Members of the Council of Elders; our hard-working National, Regional, and Constituency executives; Electoral Area Coordinators and Polling station executives; former flagbearer aspirants; fellow Kukurudites, ladies and gentlemen.
I want to start by thanking God Almighty for making this day possible. I also want to thank the tens of thousands of delegates who voted in today’s election, officials of the EC, security agencies, the media, and the generality of the Ghanaian people. Your vote, your work, your coverage, and your general following have all contributed to getting us thus far.
It is with a deep sense of pride and humility that I address you this evening following what has turned out to be a blistering battle for the flagbearership of the New Patriotic Party. To secure any precious thing in this life, we must be prepared to fight the hard battles, prepared to work hard, and be prepared to withstand difficult circumstances. I am glad that you and I have successfully fought the hard battles, worked hard, and withstood the difficulties that came our way. And tonight, victory is for all of us! I am grateful. The NPP is grateful. Ghana is grateful to you all!
I need to reiterate, from the outset, our tradition has an enviable history of selecting leaders largely based on the mood of the party. At any point in time, our party unites around an individual, usually the best bet for national elections and governance.
This individual usually emerges meritoriously on account of loyalty and contributions to party growth. It is our members’ way of rewarding loyalty, vision, competence, and sacrifice. Our members have done this meticulously and repeatedly. As democratic pacesetters, we need to respect the wisdom and decisions of our members, represented by the delegates.
It matters not which side you supported; winners and those who didn’t win at this particular time, we are in this together. All true and committed members of the great NPP need to embrace this civilized and time-tested way of selecting flagbearers.
Political Parties are assemblies of like-minded people. Whilst we may believe that our ideas are the best, we should be prepared to accept that there might be other ideas that may serve the larger interest of the party. As it is often said, after competition comes cooperation, and it is our expectation that all party members will apply themselves to this principle. It cannot be the case that one’s support for the party is maintained only when those we support lead.
I want to stand on this energy to make a passionate appeal to all members of the great NPP to let go of whatever reservations they have and come together. We need every idea, every voice, and every piece of advice to help preserve and project a proud tradition bequeathed to us by our forebears. Let it not be said anywhere on any day that the party of BJ Da Rocha, Peter Ala Adjetey, Odoi Sykes, JA Kufour, Professor Mike Ocquaye, C.K. Tedam, JH Mensah, Aliu Mahama, Nana Addo Dankwa Akuffo Addo, among other great patriots, could not handle disagreements as natural ways of stating alternative positions. I have a duty to the delegates who stood by me, and to the delegates who found worthy ideas in my brothers who contested with me.
My election today communicates a broad based appeal across the party, and I need to draw directly on that capital to unite the party as one of the crucial steps to winning power in 2028. I call on all to join in this bounden duty. After all as the Akans say, Praye, se woyi baako a na ebu: wokabomu a emmu. United we stand and divided we fall.
As we embark on this crucial journey to rebuild our brand and reposition our party for electoral glory, let me remind you, dear party members, that whatever we have gone through during the past few months is not new in the politics of Ghana. We have been through this on a number of occasions, and on each of them, we have shown we have the resilience and fortitude to overcome and even emerge stronger, and herein lies the opportunity.
Fellow, Kukurudites, the data shows that anytime the NPP is solidly united behind the chosen flagbearer, the Ghanaian voter returns the favour by voting massively for our usually superior and life-changing policies and programmes. We cannot therefore fail ourselves or Ghanaians. On this crucial point, I will undertake targeted engagements to revitalize our party, speaking with all members. This includes visits to some of our respected elders who, for various reasons, feel aggrieved. Every voice matters, every opinion is worth considering and every suggestion is vital to building a formidable strategy.
To the youth of our party, the outcome of this contest rightly belongs to you. We will not be at the helm of affairs forever. The future of our party rests on your energy, dedication, and desire to see a vibrant political vehicle. Any time the youth groups in the party rise, the great elephant soars.
To the Millions of our supporters and sympathizers nationwide, I know some of you refrained from voting in the last election because you were unhappy with several issues. We have started the process of reform. I assure you, Mahamadu Bawumia as flagbearer will do everything to ensure that the NPP listens more to you, is more mindful of your views, and more reflective of your desires.
We have a duty to bequeath a vibrant party to you, as was done to us. I am going to immediately work with the relevant and recognized party structures to roll out a series of engagement sessions with various youth groups, both formal and informal, across the length and breadth of the country to enable the development of a formidable youth platform that will be resourced for the task ahead. One of the most important things I’m interested in is discipline within our ranks.
An army that lacks discipline will struggle to win its battles. The NPP needs to step up discipline internally. Discipline in our operations, discipline in our communications, and discipline in the conduct of party members. The days when it was said of us that some displayed untoward behaviour to the Ghanaian people should be a thing of the past. I’ll work closely with the National leadership to ensure that discipline is restored as the hallmark of the NPP.
Let us celebrate with moderation. We must avoid actions that are more likely to compound tensions than to forge unity. As far as I am concerned, everybody has won. I urge all patriots to reach out to one another: place phone calls, send WhatsApp and text messages, and make personal visits. We have what it takes to reorganize and achieve a resounding victory in 2028. Let me extend heartfelt thanks to my campaign teams and volunteers at every level for staying focused throughout this period. I would also like to express my appreciation to the security agencies and all media houses.
Tonight, I pay tribute to my predecessors, Prof Albert Adu Boahen, John Agyekum Kufour, and Nana Addo Dankwah Akufo-Addo. I say thank you to every contestant for participating in this race and giving the delegates an opportunity to make an informed choice. I say a special thank you to the members of Parliament who championed my bid, both in parliament and in their various constituencies. I will never forget what you have done for me and I will never forget you.
Thank you to all polling Station Executives, Electoral area coordinators, Constituency executives, regional executives, former members of Parliaments, former party executives and all former MMDCEs. To our religious leaders across the country, Imams and pastors, Thank you.
My wife, Hajia Samira Bawumia, deserves special mention for mapping strategies and reaching out to delegates in a truly engaging manner.
To my youth campaign team and the teeming young people across the country who championed this campaign from Day one in the various communities, campuses, Facebook, Instagram, twitter, Tik Tok etc., I say thank you. You remain my allies on this journey. Together, we will deliver amazing outcomes for our dear nation.
Finally, I would like to thank every member of the NPP for their patience and support throughout this process. The polls have ended, but our push for a stronger NPP has just begun. With Almighty God behind us, we will succeed.
The journey to victory 2028 has only now begun We are in this together! We shall work together. AND we will win together.
God Bless you
Thank you
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