Former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has dismissed claims that he was responsible for the New Patriotic Party's (NPP) loss in the 2024 general elections, insisting the evidence shows otherwise.

Speaking during his campaign tour of the Ashanti Region on Thursday, September 11, Dr Bawumia, who is also the party’s 2026 presidential candidate hopeful, said attempts to link the defeat to his faith or northern origin were unfounded.

“It is clear that Dr Bawumia, the presidential candidate, was not the reason we [NPP] lost the elections. It was not because of Dr Bawumia.

"The evidence is clear, and this has nothing to do with the fact that I am a Muslim or from the North. That is not part of it,” he said.

He referenced a post-election report by the former Majority Leader Osei Kyei-Mensah-Bonsu, which also concluded that he was not at fault for the party’s defeat.

Despite that, Dr Bawumia noted that rumours quickly spread following his concession.

“I conceded the election on Sunday, and by Monday, I started hearing the gossip. First, they claimed that Christians did not vote for Dr Bawumia because he is a Muslim. I said I don’t believe this,” he said.

He argued that his election as NPP flagbearer disproved such claims.

“If you look carefully, NPP went into the primaries with 10 candidates, nine were Christians, and I was the only Muslim among them.

"If NPP did not like Muslims, would they have elected me as their flagbearer? They wouldn’t have, because they had nine other options. But I was the one they chose, securing 61 per cent of the votes.”

Dr Bawumia stressed that the party had already proven that it does not discriminate.

“This shows clearly that we do not want selectiveness in the NPP. The party itself has demonstrated that.”