Former Speaker of Parliament, Professor Mike Oquaye, has commended Dr Mahamudu Bawumia on winning the New Patriotic Party (NPP) presidential primary and urged him to demonstrate the leadership needed to unite the party's members.

Speaking in an interview with the Daily Graphic at his Haatso residence in Accra, soon after the close of the NPP primary poll on Sunday, Prof. Oquaye said Dr Bawumia must show magnanimity and respect to the other four contestants to enable the party to forge ahead in unity.

“The victor must show magnanimity and respect, and the victor must tell his people to be careful in pronouncements at a time like this so that it does not look as if some people are being teased and mocked, as those things do not bring any brotherly feeling or sisterly feeling, but hatred,” he said.

Help patch differences

Prof. Oquaye, who chaired the 2023 NPP Presidential Election Committee, acknowledged that internal party contests could be difficult but emphasised the need for the party to come together and unite.

"This is because it is only by unity that we can win an election anyway," he said.

He urged the vanquished contestants to reciprocate Dr Bawumia's respect and avoid adopting an opposition attitude.

"For the vanquished, they must also reciprocate because if you have lost and nevertheless you want to be vociferous and adopt an opposition attitude, naturally people would be glad with you, but it is more of a victor who accommodates those who have lost," he said.

He pointed out that the party noticed a certain “creeping disregard” on the part of the contestants and their supporters for each other during presidential primaries, a development he said “always cost the party.”

“Because in all honesty, during the last elections, there were people who were not loyal to the party because of certain quarrels and difficulties that arose; they really went out to make the party lose.

“Which means we must be very careful about how we handle these matters and trust that the Council of Elders and other people will help to patch a number of these matters,” he said.

Stop tribalistic utterances

Prof. Oquaye also called on those who had advocated tribalism during the campaign to stop, saying the results showed that Ghanaians were not interested in tribal dynamics. 

"Some people wanted to introduce ethnicity into this contest, but the people of Ghana have shown clearly that they are not interested in tribal dynamics. Let those people shut their mouths forever because we do not need it in this country," he warned.

On campaigning along religious lines, he reminded the party members that Dr Bawumia won across board and that should be “a source of victory for Ghanaians.”

“Considering all these, we must just accept this result in good faith, as it really reflects the nature of our people and the way Ghanaians are to enable us to work together as a party to win the next election,” he said. 

Bawumia stands a chance

On Dr Bawumia's chances of winning the 2028 presidential election, Prof. Oquaye said he stood a good chance, citing his innovative ideas and contributions to Ghana's economic development.