Attacks against Dr Mahamudu Bawumia over his early concession during the 2024 elections were never driven by conviction but were simply campaign tactics aimed at winning votes, an aide to the NPP flagbearer has said.

Dennis Miracles Aboagye, speaking on Channel1 TV on Sunday, said the former Vice President understands that political competition often brings unfair attacks that opponents do not necessarily believe in.

“Once he gets into a competition, people would come at him, not necessarily with things that they mean or things that are true,” he said.

According to him, some rivals believe attacking an opponent is the easiest way to gain an advantage during a contest.

“Some people feel that when they are in competition with you, the best way they can outrun you is to throw that at you,” he said.

He explained that Dr Bawumia does not take such attacks personally, insisting that once an individual does not internalise them, there is no need for reconciliation.

“Once the victim is not taking these things to heart, then there’s nothing like an issue for there to be a reconciliation,” he said.

Mr Aboagye stressed that the internal campaign attacks have now lost relevance following Dr Bawumia’s decisive victory.

“This morning, Dr Bawumia is leading the party. Irrespective of what you said against him, whether negative or otherwise, during the campaign, none of those things matter this morning,” he said.

He argued that recent actions by Dr Bawumia’s former competitors have exposed inconsistencies in the attacks against him.

“One of the key things that our opponents used against us was that he conceded too early in the 2024 elections,” he said.

“They said if it were me, I would not have done that, and that it led to the loss of the NPP,” he added.

However, he noted that events during the party’s internal contest have undermined that argument.

“Yesterday, you saw all of them concede before the EC declared,” he said.

To him, that alone proves the earlier criticism was never genuine. “It means that what they were saying at the time, it’s not something that they truly meant,” he said.

He insisted the attacks were purely strategic. “They were hoping that delegates would latch on and use it to vote against Dr Bawumia,” he said.

Mr Aboagye said this understanding explains why Dr Bawumia has chosen not to dwell on campaign rhetoric.

“If you know people will say things that they don’t truly mean against you, you don’t take it to heart,” he said.

He added that the Bawumia camp is focused on unity, extending an olive branch to all party members.

“From our side also, we are saying that if in the course of the campaign we may have said something or done something that stepped on your toes, we apologise,” he said.

He emphasised that the party must now move forward together.

“We are one family. We are one blood. We are one people. We are together. Now let’s execute a common goal,” he said.

Dr Mahamudu Bawumia was declared the winner of the New Patriotic Party’s flagbearer race by the Electoral Commission after securing 56.48 per cent of the total votes cast, earning him the party’s slot for the 2028 general elections.

His closest contender, former Assin Central MP Kennedy Agyapong, placed second with 46,554 votes, representing 23.76 per cent.