Member of Parliament for Bantama and former Minister for Roads and Highways, Francis Asenso Boakye, has urged the New Patriotic Party (NPP) to retain former Vice President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia as its flagbearer for the 2028 general elections.

Addressing party delegates and members in Bantama on Tuesday, Mr Asenso Boakye said it would be a “grave mistake” for the party to abandon Dr Bawumia, citing his experience in governance, personal character and popularity within the party.

“It will be the most unwise decision for the NPP not to retain Dr Bawumia to lead the party to the 2028 election,” he said.

His comments come as the NPP begins internal discussions about its future leadership following the party’s defeat in the 2024 general elections, which ended its eight-year stay in government.

Mr Asenso Boakye rejected claims by some party members that Dr Bawumia was responsible for the party’s electoral loss, saying findings from the party’s own review, as well as independent assessments, did not blame the former Vice President.

“After the defeat, some people started blaming Dr Bawumia for the loss. But all the research works into why the NPP lost the 2024 election, including those by independent researchers, did not fault him,” he stated.

He described Dr Bawumia as a leader with the intellectual depth and vision needed to return the party to power. “When you’re looking for someone with great intellect, wisdom, humility, experience and vision to propel Ghana to greater heights, it is Dr Mahamudu Bawumia,” he added.

The Bantama MP also accused some aspirants of spreading what he described as falsehoods about the former Vice President in an attempt to undermine his credibility within the party.

According to Mr Asenso Boakye, his engagements with party supporters across the country suggest that Dr Bawumia remains highly favoured among the NPP grassroots.

He therefore called on delegates expected to vote on Saturday to rally behind Dr Bawumia and support his bid to lead the party into the 2028 elections, insisting that unity behind an experienced candidate would be critical to the NPP’s chances of reclaiming power.