The 2024 NPP flagbearer, Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia, has attributed his loss in the last presidential election to what he calls a deeply entrenched pattern in the country’s political history.

The former Vice President was emphatic that Ghanaians seldom vote for first-time presidential candidates.

Interacting with members of the Young Executive Forum (YEF) in London as part of his Thank You Tour, Dr. Bawumia reflected on the party’s defeat and expressed confidence about a political comeback in 2028.

“I’m very, very optimistic about 2028,” he told the group. “I believe that in 2028, NPP is going to come back into government. I believe so. I believe so.”

According to him, history strongly supports the case for his optimism.

“If you look at our political history, our political history suggests that it is usually very difficult for a first-time presidential candidate to win an election in Ghana. I don’t know why that is, but Ghanaians want you to come more than once. That seems to be what is prevailing.”

He cited past presidents to support his claim.

“John Agyekum Kufuor in ’96 had to come back in 2000. President John Mills contested in 2000, 2004, and then he won in 2008. Nana Akufo-Addo went three times before he won. Mills contested three times before he won.”

Even in the case of former President John Mahama, Bawumia argued, the 2012 victory was a fluke of circumstance.

“Mahama’s one was an aberration,” he said.

“Because in 2012, we were going for an election against Mills. So all our ammunition and battle plans were against him. Unfortunately, may his soul rest in peace, he passed away.”

Dr Bawumia described how the NPP’s campaign was thrown off course by President Mills’ death, giving the NDC an emotional upper hand.

“For the rest of the campaign, NDC was playing funeral songs. They had angels on the TV. They were playing mourning songs. How could you even attack them? You would be seen as insensitive. They mourned all the way to victory, and we were just sitting there.”

He reminded the audience that even Mahama, having won in 2012, was rejected in 2016, 2020, and only returned in 2024 after three failed attempts.

“When you look at it, who would have thought that Mahama will come back again and be president of Ghana? Nobody would have thought that, but that is exactly what happened.”

Despite the loss, Dr. Bawumia owned up to the failings of the NPP campaign.

“There’s no doubt, as the chairman said, that we didn’t get everything right. NPP did a lot of work, there’s no doubt about it. But we did not get everything right. We got quite a few things wrong.

"And I think that on my own behalf, on behalf of the party and the government, I apologise to all of you for us not getting the things right that we should have gotten.”

Still, he emphasised that mistakes have become lessons, and those lessons will power a stronger comeback.

“I believe that if, by the grace of God, we have another opportunity, I believe that we will get many things right because we’ve learned the lessons of where we are going.”

Looking ahead, Dr Bawumia sees a major strategic opportunity for the NPP in 2028, particularly because the opposition NDC will likely have to present a new face.

“There’s a sense that in 2028, NDC is going to bring a new candidate. For the first time, a new candidate isn’t it? They’ve run out of choices now of Mahama. Mahama has been their perennial candidate over the last few elections. Now they will have to bring a new candidate.”

That, he believes, gives him and the NPP the edge.

“I believe we will have an advantage, all things being equal, over that new candidate coming in 2028. I believe we will have a very big advantage.”