The Member of Parliament for Abetifi and New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer hopeful, Dr Bryan Acheampong, has stirred controversy after attributing the party’s defeat in the 2024 presidential election to what he described as tribal dynamics surrounding the candidature of Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.
Speaking to party members, Acheampong suggested that Dr Bawumia’s Mamprusi heritage played a significant role in the NPP’s poor performance, particularly in northern constituencies affected by the longstanding Mamprusi–Kusasi chieftaincy conflict.
According to him, constituencies and parliamentary seats the NPP had won convincingly under former Presidents John Agyekum Kufuor and Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo were lost in 2024 because of ethnic considerations.
“President Kufuor won all NPP votes in Kusasi, and President Akufo-Addo also did the same thing. But because the fight is between two tribes—the Mamprusis and the Kusasis—and we elected a flagbearer from one of them, we lost in the Oti Region, Upper East, Upper West, and Northern Region,” Acheampong said.
While stressing that Dr Bawumia himself was not to blame, the Abetifi legislator described him as a “victim of circumstance”, arguing that the timing of his candidature did not favour the party.
“We lost all our seats because of the candidate we presented. It was not his fault, but the circumstances worked against him,” he added.
Acheampong cautioned party delegates ahead of the 2028 general election, urging them not to allow emotions to dictate their choice of flagbearer. Instead, he insisted that the NPP must select a candidate who can win power decisively in December 2028.
The comments have sparked mixed reactions within the party, with critics accusing Acheampong of fanning tribal sentiments in an already tense flagbearer race. Supporters, however, argue that he is only pointing out political realities the NPP must confront if it is to return to power.
Source: https://www.ghanaweb
