Politics is full of ironies, but sometimes they are too sharp to miss. I still remember the viral clip where former Vice President Dr. Mahamudu Bawumia was caught on camera joking with Bryan Acheampong, former Minister for Food and Agriculture and MP for Abetifi. With a smile, he quipped: “Bryan, you want to worry me.” It was light-hearted then, but today, as the New Patriotic Party’s (NPP) flagbearer race grows more intense, that remark has become the headline of Bawumia’s campaign struggles.

In my view, Dr Bawumia started this race as the clear favourite. But Bryan Acheampong’s entry, backed by solid organisation and resourcefulness, has shaken him. The former Vice-President first tried to dismiss Bryan’s approach, saying the contest was not about “who has the heaviest pockets” but about “who is rich in ideas.” That sounded principled. Yet within weeks, Dr Bawumia made a complete about-face, suddenly boasting about how much money he personally poured into the party’s 2024 campaign.

This is where I see the problem. You cannot ridicule money politics one day and turn around to flaunt your own spending the next. And honestly, what is the point of bragging about funding a campaign where your own face was on the ballot sheet? To me, that is not a badge of honour but a sign of inconsistency and, worse, desperation.

I also remember the attempt to paint Bryan Acheampong as tribal. When he analysed how the Kusasi–Mamprusi conflict hurt Dr Bawumia’s 2024 chances, Bryan clearly stated that the former Vice President was a victim of circumstances. Yet, within 24 hours, Dr Bawumia was in the U.S., responding to the same spin his supporters had amplified. To me, that showed just how much Bryan is living rent-free in Bawumia’s political mind.

And then came the “Aka 9%” campaign, perhaps the most embarrassing misstep yet. The idea was simple: Dr. Bawumia supposedly needed just an additional 9 per cent of votes on top of what he secured in 2024 to cross the victory line in 2028. His team even printed T-shirts and branded the message like a done deal.

But Bryan Acheampong, tactful as ever, went back to the drawing board and carefully dismantled the logic. He exposed the fatal flaws in that line of thinking, showing that electoral politics is not a matter of arithmetic slogans but of broad, credible appeal. The result? The “Aka 9%” mantra collapsed before it could even take off. All those campaign shirts now lie folded away — relics of a campaign line Bryan killed before it saw daylight.

The pattern is now obvious. Bryan Acheampong has become more than a challenger. He is a thorn, a threat, and the one figure capable of throwing Bawumia completely off gear. As an Akan adage goes, when you are overwhelmed in a fight, you resort to biting. That is exactly what I see in Bawumia’s contradictions — a man once assured, now scrambling.

So yes, that viral aside has aged with poetic irony. “Bryan, you want to worry me.” What once drew laughter now sums up the reality of the NPP race. Bryan is worrying him, dismantling his slogans, shredding his talking points, and perhaps biting back harder than Dr Bawumia ever expected.

And here, I must admit that it is not easy to stay steady in such heat. Even the most confident politician would stagger under this kind of pressure. Bryan Acheampong has proven to be a different breed of contender: strategic, calculating, and relentless. For Bawumia, every move seems to invite a sharper counter from Bryan; every slogan becomes a punchline in Bryan’s hands. In fact, remaining composed in the face of that level of challenge is no small task.

I almost sympathised with the former Vice President. To carry the weight of expectation, fend off criticism, and still face a rival like Bryan Acheampong, who appears to anticipate and dismantle your every step, it is no easy fight. But politics has no room for sympathy.

So while Bryan continues to press with precision, I can only extend a word of encouragement to Dr. Bawumia. He has carried the expectations of his party and his people for years, and that alone is no small burden. In this contest of brothers, the former Vice-President must resist the temptation to borrow from Bryan’s strategies or try to mirror his rival’s strengths. The real measure of success will come from staying true to his own vision, principles, and the qualities that earned him respect and support in the first place.

It is a test of focus, discipline, and composure, and these are exactly the tools he needs to steer the intensity of this campaign. May he find the calm needed to hold his ground ahead of the elections. Salam Alaikum, Dr. Bawumia.

******

Sam Frempong is a political analyst and commentator known for his sharp observations on contemporary politics. His writing blends traditional wisdom with modern political analysis, often drawing from Akan proverbs to illuminate complex political dynamics.