Former New Patriotic Party (NPP) Chairman Freddie Blay has disclosed that he expected Dr Mahamudu Bawumia to win the party’s 2026 presidential primary with about 70 per cent of the vote, saying the eventual 56.48 per cent victory was “okay” but fell short of his personal expectations.

Speaking in an interview with Joy News’ Gemma Appiah, Mr Blay said he was slightly disappointed by the margin, despite accepting the outcome of the contest.

“I was a little not happy with the percentage. I was expecting 70 for Dr Bawumia — 70 per cent. But it turned out to be 56.6 per cent. That’s okay,” he said.

The former party chairman described the January 2026 primary as highly competitive and said the final result still reflected strong support for the former Vice-President among delegates.

Dr Bawumia emerged winner of the polls held on 31 January 2026, securing 110,640 votes — representing 56.48 per cent of valid votes cast across 333 voting centres nationwide.

He defeated a four-member field led by Kennedy Agyapong, who placed second with 23.76 per cent, and Bryan Acheampong, who finished third with 18.53 per cent.

Yaw Osei Adutwum and Kwabena Agyei Agyepong trailed behind.

Mr Blay explained that his expectation of a higher margin was based on feedback he received from party delegates ahead of the vote.

“A lot of people that I fraternised with — many of them had no doubts that he should be the leader,” he said.

According to him, the mood within sections of the party suggested that Dr Bawumia would secure a more overwhelming mandate.

The victory marked Dr Bawumia’s second consecutive win in the NPP’s presidential primaries, following his 2023 triumph over Mr Agyapong.

That earlier contest, however, featured only two candidates, making the 2026 race more competitive.

The party is still recovering from its defeat to President John Mahama and the National Democratic Congress in the December 2024 polls.

While acknowledging Dr Bawumia’s clear win, Mr Blay said the party must now focus on unity and mobilisation.