A senior member of the New Patriotic Party(NPP)’s flagbearer team, Kojo Oppong Nkrumah, says Dr Mahamudu Bawumia’s victory in the party’s internal elections is a strength, not a weakness, precisely because it was not a landslide.

Speaking on Joy News’ PM Express on Monday, the former Information Minister argued that the outcome ensures humility, listening, and internal reflection, rather than arrogance.

“For me, one of the good things is the fact that he doesn’t have, for example, a 95% mandate in the party,” he said.

“You know what that does? That always causes you to listen and consider all of the other opinions and ideas that are being expressed.”

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

The Offoase Ayirebi MP rejected suggestions that the margin reflected weakness, insisting that competitive leadership sharpens ideas and decision-making.

“You don’t go gung ho, because you’re of the view that you have everything under your belt,” he said. “So it is actually, for me, a blessing.”

He stressed that unity alone will not deliver victory in 2028.

“As they say, with a broom, if you pull out one, it will break. But if it’s united, you have a formidable force,” he said. “But that is only the foundation.”

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah said the party is under no illusions that internal cohesion alone is enough to win back power.

“We are not under any illusion that all that we need is a united house. No, absolutely not,” he said.

According to him, the bigger task is rebuilding public confidence.

“For us, we think that the bigger challenge is how to win back the love and the trust of the average Ghanaian, especially the first time,” he said.

He explained that this process begins with honesty about the party’s record.

“It starts with a lot of candour in what we did that went right, what we did that went wrong, and being able to communicate that to the Ghanaian people,” he said.

“That this is where we got it right. This is where we got it wrong. If we have an opportunity, this is what we’re going to do differently.”

Mr Oppong Nkrumah said internal reorganisation is already underway, including changes to how the party develops policy.

“We are now going through a process of reorganising,” he said, pointing to constitutional amendments that have created a formal policy secretariat within the party.

“For the first time, we’ve literally set up like a policy secretariat by constitutional fiat,” he said, adding that the goal is to ensure ideas presented in 2028 have broader ideological support.

Addressing comparisons with previous internal contests, Mr Oppong Nkrumah said elections differ in context and structure.

“Every election is dynamic, and it’s different,” the former Minister said.

He noted that, unlike previous contests, this election went straight to the polls, with different candidates and configurations.

Despite this, he said Dr Bawumia expanded his reach.

“If you look, for example, at constituencies, he’s moved from 213 constituencies that he won to 232 constituencies,” he said.

Kojo Oppong Nkrumah maintained that the outcome creates space for robust internal debate.

“We force him to listen to our views to our best advantage,” he said.

For the NPP, he insisted, competitive leadership is not a setback, but a necessary discipline as the party prepares for 2028.